The COVID-19 pandemic sparked explosive growth in South Korea’s food delivery industry, with platforms like Baedal Minjok (Baemin), Coupang Eats, and Yogiyo quickly becoming essential services for consumers and restaurants alike.

Together, these three platforms control 96% of South Korea’s food delivery market.

But as the pandemic waned, these platforms faced new challenges — most notably, rising costs and fierce competition that are squeezing restaurant owners and putting pressure on the market.

In response to mounting complaints about monopolistic practices and increasing commission fees, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) launched an investigationinto the three delivery giants in July.