韩国拟在2027年预算中集中扶持3至4家公共外卖App，对私营外卖平台形成政策竞争压力

The government will pick three or four of the country's 12 public food delivery apps and concentrate its support on them. It plans to spend 120 billion won ($86 million) on consumer discount coupons alone, while linking the apps to Onnuri gift certificates and delivery fee subsidies. The aim is to build them into "win-win delivery apps" that can compete with private platforms such as Baedal Minjok while satisfying consumers, small business owners and delivery riders.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 1st that it has created a new "win-win delivery app support" program in its 2027 budget proposal and allocated a total of 124 billion won. Of that, 120 billion won will go toward discount coupons for users of the selected apps, and the remaining 4 billion won to publicity and marketing.
Three to four of the 12 public delivery apps now operating nationwide will receive support. Through a review process, the ministry plans to select platforms that combine public purpose with market competitiveness and focus its funding on them. Eight of the apps were developed by local governments — Baedal Special, Daeguro, Baedal Moa, Jeonju Mat Baedal, Baedal-ui Myeongsu, Baedal e-eum, Ulsan Pedal and Baedal Yangsan — while four others, Ttaenggyeoyo, Meokkkaebi, WemakepriceO and Whipparam, are run as public-private partnerships.
The ministry will complete the selection process this year. It will issue a public notice this month, name the final operators in November and sign agreements in December. Actual budget support begins next year.
The evaluation will weigh public purpose and market viability at the same time. On public purpose, the ministry will assess the level of commissions charged to participating small businesses and each platform's commitment to cooperation. On market viability, it is expected to look at plans that can strengthen the platforms themselves, including ease of use, strategies for signing up merchants and measures to expand the user base.
The ministry will also pursue measures to keep users from drifting back to private platforms once the discount coupons run out. It is reviewing ways to bring more well-regarded restaurants onto the public apps and to link support that lowers delivery fee burdens. It also plans to allow the use of local currency and Onnuri gift certificates to strengthen a "lock-in effect" that keeps users on the platforms.
The ministry believes an earlier discount program run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs demonstrated some effectiveness. That ministry ran a coupon program last June with a budget of 65 billion won. The market share of public delivery apps, which stood at about 6.5% before the program began, rose to about 11% by November of last year. Even after the support ended, the share did not fall back sharply to its earlier level, according to the ministry.
"We are aware that there are limits to raising the competitiveness of public delivery apps through coupons alone," a ministry official said. "Using this program as a starting point, we plan to combine the participation of quality restaurants, easing of delivery fee burdens and links to Onnuri gift certificates and local currency to build win-win delivery apps that people will keep using."