The rapid development of digital technology in the 21st century has fundamentally transformed traditional trade structures, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this shift by highlighting the importance of digital trade. In highly trade-dependent countries like Korea, transitioning to a digital trade environment has become an essential task. However, the expansion of digital trade has exposed institutional gaps and regulatory inconsistencies among countries, particularly in consumer protection. This study compares consumer protection provisions embedded in major digital trade agreements, including DEPA, CPTPP, USJDTA, and IPEF. The analysis reveals that although these agreements emphasize the importance of consumer protection, most remain at a declarative level and lack effective enforcement mechanisms. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a Consumer Protection Certification (CPC) system based on preemptive compliance and examines policy implications for Korea. Ultimately, ensuring the sustainability of digital trade requires not only robust consumer protection measures but also the enhancement of international cooperation frameworks.
Michael Hwang (Thu,) studied this question.