Korea Franchise Association launches ninth advisory panel with 26 experts to discuss ethical business practices and shared growth

A ninth advisory panel has been launched to discuss ethical business practices, mutually beneficial growth and improvements to the framework governing South Korea’s franchise sector. The Korea Franchise Association announced on 15 October that it had held an appointment ceremony in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on 13 October 2026 and elected Kim Young-ki, chairman of QooQoo, to lead the panel. The panel brings together 26 experts from industry, academia and the legal profession to advise on issues including shared growth for franchisors and franchisees.

26 experts to advise on association programmes and longer-term strategy

The panel’s role is to gather views on key issues facing the franchise sector and advise on the association’s programmes and medium- to long-term development strategy. The association plans to draw on expertise from different fields to strengthen competitiveness and explore improvements to the framework governing franchising.

Kim Young-ki, elected to chair the panel, heads QooQoo. The key organisational details confirmed in the announcement are his appointment and the participation of 26 experts. The association intends to combine practical industry experience with academic perspectives and legal analysis in its advisory work.

The panel’s remit covers both immediate concerns and longer-term challenges. It will provide input on the association’s programmes while discussing what support and reforms may be needed in future. The launch is therefore news about sector-wide support priorities, rather than individual brands opening outlets or launching products.

However, the panel’s launch does not itself introduce new rules or support schemes. The announcement sets out the advisory body’s composition and intended areas of discussion. Franchisors and franchisees will need to check separately for operational changes once specific programmes or reform proposals are published.

Ethical business practices and shared growth take centre stage

The association has placed particular emphasis on promoting ethical business practices that support mutually beneficial growth. This is also a key priority identified by Na Myung-seok, the association’s ninth president. The panel will support that direction by discussing shared growth for franchisors and franchisees alongside other current issues.

In this announcement, mutual benefit is explicitly linked to growth for both franchisors and franchisees. Rather than looking at one side’s performance in isolation, the aim is to discuss conditions that allow both parties to develop within the franchise relationship. Ethical management is likewise central to the panel’s remit.

It is important to distinguish between objectives and the measures used to achieve them. Promoting ethical business practices and shared growth is a stated goal, but the launch does not mean that individual franchise agreements or brand operating policies have changed. Any specific changes will need to be checked against the relevant franchisor’s guidance and actual operating arrangements.

Franchisors and franchisees should watch how future discussions translate into practical measures. Useful points to look for in subsequent announcements include how shared-growth objectives feed into support programmes for member companies and how the panel’s recommendations are communicated to businesses on the ground.

An emphasis on ethical business practices and shared growth should also be distinguished from evidence of results. This announcement identifies future priorities. Assessing their impact will require scrutiny of subsequent programmes and progress in delivering them.

Agenda extends from regulatory improvements to overseas expansion

The panel’s agenda also includes proportionate improvements to the regulatory and institutional framework, support for overseas expansion and the identification of new sources of growth. The plan is to examine both the domestic operating environment for franchises and brands’ future growth prospects. Ethical business practices and shared growth remain central, but the discussions will cover a broader range of business challenges.

On reform, the association said it would explore improvements across the franchise sector. This means considering potential changes informed by expert advice. It should not be read as confirmation that any particular law has been amended or that new obligations have been introduced.

Support for overseas expansion is also on the proposed agenda. The announcement confirms that international expansion falls within the panel’s remit, but it does not announce a market-entry programme for a particular country or an overseas opening by any individual brand. Member companies considering international business opportunities will need to watch for more detailed support measures.

Identifying new sources of growth has also been listed as a future topic for discussion. This does not mean that any particular business model or form of support has been adopted. Rather, it is part of the panel’s role in reviewing medium- to long-term development strategy. The intention is to address existing challenges while exploring new avenues for growth.

All these agenda items are starting points for further discussion. Those involved in franchising can check whether their areas of interest are covered, but should wait for details such as eligibility and delivery arrangements before deciding whether any resulting support will be useful to them.

Regular discussions planned, with practical support still to follow

The association plans to discuss current issues with the panel regularly. It also said it would strengthen co-operation so that expert recommendations could lead to support for member companies and practical improvements to the sector’s regulatory and institutional framework. Continued exchanges of views and the use of advisory findings are therefore central to its plans following the appointment ceremony.

The significance of the launch depends not only on who sits on the panel, but also on what happens next. To assess its practical impact, businesses will need to look beyond discussions and expert input to see which recommendations are incorporated into the association’s programmes.

Support for member companies and broader reforms may lead to different types of follow-up action. Future announcements should therefore be read carefully to distinguish between association support schemes, proposals for reform and changes that have actually been confirmed. An announcement about advisory work should not be treated as equivalent to any of these outcomes.

Franchisors can monitor whether support relevant to their operations takes shape, while franchisees can look for tangible results from discussions on shared growth. Prospective franchise investors should likewise assess the association’s priorities separately from the contractual and operating conditions offered by individual brands.

In practical terms, this announcement marks the launch of an advisory structure, not the introduction of new obligations. Monitor the association’s future guidance on support programmes and proposed reforms, and base business decisions on measures whose scope and implementation status have been clearly confirmed.