SEOUL – Gmarket, a leading South Korean e-commerce giant, is set to shake up the market with the launch of its new paid subscription service, ‘KKOK’, on April 23. By shifting its core value proposition from discount coupons to a high-yield reward system, Gmarket is making a strategic bet to reclaim customer loyalty in an increasingly crowded membership landscape.
The End of an Era: From ‘Universe’ to ‘KKOK’
According to industry sources on March 29, Gmarket will officially debut the ‘KKOK’ membership next month. In preparation for this transition, the issuance of new coupons for the existing ‘Universe Club’ will be halted on the same day. This marks a total overhaul of Gmarket’s membership structure, effectively retiring the collaborative model in favor of a brand-new identity.
The name ‘KKOK’ (meaning "certainly" or "must" in Korean) reflects the company’s ambition to become a "must-have" service for savvy shoppers and signifies their commitment to taking full responsibility for the customer’s shopping journey. This launch comes nine years after Gmarket pioneered the paid subscription model in Korea with the ‘Smile Club’ in 2017.
Strategy Shift: Points Over Coupons
Industry insiders suggest that Gmarket is moving away from complex, conditional discount coupons and low-utility add-ons. Instead, ‘KKOK’ will focus on a “high-accumulation” structure, where points—usable like cash—pile up the more a customer spends.
This move is a direct response to the "Rewards War" currently raging among Korean e-commerce platforms:
SSG.com: Recently launched ‘SSG Seven Club,’ offering a fixed 7% reward rate for a monthly fee of 2,900 KRW.
Naver: Continues to attract users with up to 5% rewards integrated with various digital ecosystem benefits.
Coupang: Dominates with its ‘Wow Membership,’ locking in over 15 million users through a combination of free shipping, food delivery (Coupang Eats), and OTT services (Coupang Play).
Synergy and Market Impact
Expectations are high that Gmarket will offer reward rates that match or exceed those of Naver and SSG.com. Beyond points, Gmarket is expected to leverage its partnership with CJ Logistics for its ‘Star Delivery’ service and provide offline perks through Shinsegae Group affiliates.
"Membership competitiveness is now the primary factor determining platform loyalty," said an industry official. "With the launch of Gmarket’s ‘KKOK,’ the battle for subscribers among Coupang, Naver, and SSG.com is expected to intensify further."
As high inflation and interest rates persist, consumers are increasingly consolidating their spending on platforms that offer tangible, high-value returns. Gmarket’s ‘KKOK’ is a calculated attempt to ensure it remains one of those few essential destinations.
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