Open Decision Ledger · Civil obligations & remedies
Franchise supply-price changes: written presentation, consultation and consent
Supreme Court, Jan. 29, 2026, 2025Da217179 (judgment)
Case name: 부당이득금
Official text on the National Law Information Center
Question
Where a franchise agreement requires the franchisor, on a change in prices caused by inflation or other economic conditions, to present in writing the details, reasons and basis of the new price and to settle it by consultation with the franchisee, does a unilateral increase carried out without that procedure take effect against the franchisee, and can subsequent implied consent make up for the missing procedure?
Holding
It does not. The franchisor must have the necessity of the change caused by inflation or other economic conditions, the written presentation to the franchisee of the details, reasons and basis of the new price, and consultation with the franchisee; without those elements a unilateral change of the supply price has no effect on the franchisee. The Supreme Court held that the court below erred in law in saying that the first increase in material charges was not invalid on the procedure breach alone, but that its conclusion stood because the franchisees had consented to the increase afterwards by implication, so the error did not affect the judgment and all the appeals were dismissed.
Summary of the holding, verbatim
이러한 요건을 갖추지 못하였다면 가맹본부가 원·부재료 등의 가격을 일방적으로 변경하더라도 그 효력은 가맹점사업자에게 미치지 못한다고 보아야 하는데도, 위와 같은 서면 제시와 협의를 거치지 않은 가격인상이 무효가 아니라고 본 원심판단에 법리오해의 잘못이 있으나
Unofficial English translation
if these requirements are not met, then even if the franchisor unilaterally changes the prices of the raw and auxiliary materials, etc., the effect thereof cannot be regarded as extending to the franchisee; and yet the determination of the court below that the price increase made without undergoing the foregoing written presentation and consultation was not void contains misapprehension of legal principles; however
Disposition
Dismissed Stated in the decision
상고를 모두 기각한다. 상고비용은 원고들이 부담한다.
Unofficial English translation
All appeals are dismissed. The appeal costs shall be borne by the plaintiffs.
Form of the test
Elements stated Stated in the decision
가맹본부가 원·부재료 등의 가격을 변경하기 위해서는 물가인상 기타 경제여건의 변동으로 인한 가격 변경의 필요성, 가맹점사업자에 대한 변경내역, 변경사유 및 변경가격 산출 근거에 관한 서면 제시, 가맹점사업자와의 협의라는 요건을 갖추어야 하고
Unofficial English translation
In order for the franchisor to change the prices of the raw and auxiliary materials, etc., the requirements of the necessity of a change in prices due to inflation or other changes in economic conditions, the presentation to the franchisee in writing of the details of the change, the reasons for the change, and the basis for the calculation of the changed prices, and consultation with the franchisee must be met, and
Factors
- 물가인상 기타 경제여건의 변동으로 인한 가격 변경의 필요성
- 가맹점사업자에 대한 변경내역, 변경사유 및 변경가격 산출 근거에 관한 서면 제시
- 가맹점사업자와의 협의라는 요건을 갖추어야 하고
- 을 등이 위 가격인상에 대하여 사후적·묵시적으로 동의하였다고
Unofficial English translation
• the necessity of a change in prices due to inflation or other changes in economic conditions
• the presentation to the franchisee in writing of the details of the change, the reasons for the change, and the basis for the calculation of the changed prices
• the requirement of consultation with the franchisee must be met, and
• B and others consented to the said price increase ex post facto and impliedly
Relation to precedent
States a new standard Read from the decision
위와 같은 서면 제시와 협의를 거치지 않은 가격인상이 무효가 아니라고 본 원심판단에 법리오해의 잘못이 있으나
Unofficial English translation
the determination of the court below that the price increase made without undergoing the foregoing written presentation and consultation was not void contains misapprehension of legal principles; however
Decisions referred to
해당 본문 참조
Burden of proof
Not addressed Not in the decision
Open question and revisit condition
What conduct of a franchisee over what period will amount to subsequent implied consent to a supply price raised without the agreed procedure?
A later Supreme Court decision that spells out the conduct and time needed for subsequent implied consent, or that treats a procedure breach of this kind as invalid without regard to consent, would require this entry to be read again. A change to the franchise transaction statutes, or to the wording of the price-change clause in standard franchise agreements, would likewise call for a fresh reading.
Cross-family AI independent reading & axis check
6 of 8 axes matched GPT-6 Astra (OpenAI, codex CLI) · 2026-10-24
A reader from another model family (GPT-6 Astra), given the official text but not the primary reading, agreed on 6 of the 8 axes; the readings differed on axis 4 (form of the test), axis 6 (relation to precedent).
Axis 4 (Form of the test): Primary “Elements stated” vs Independent “Existing test applied”
The holding both lists requirements for price changes and applies them to the particular agreement, allowing emphasis on either stated requirements or case application.
다만 을 등이 위 가격인상에 대하여 사후적·묵시적으로 동의하였다고 본 원심판단이 결론에 있어 정당하다고 한 사례.Axis 6 (Relation to precedent): Primary “States a new standard” vs Independent “Cannot be determined”
The express formulation of requirements may suggest a new standard, while the supplied text does not establish whether that standard is new relative to prior decisions.
위와 같은 서면 제시와 협의를 거치지 않은 가격인상이 무효가 아니라고 본 원심판단에 법리오해의 잘못이 있으나Raw responses and comparison record: Protocol · Blind readings (JSONL) · Axis comparison (JSONL) · SHA-256 (JSON)
Lower-court contrast & scope of application
Lower-court reading vs. Supreme Court holding
Lower-court context: The Seoul High Court, in its judgment of 21 August 2025 (2024Na2048856), rejected the franchisees' claim that the first increase in material charges was invalid. It held that the breach of the written presentation and consultation procedure alone could not make the increase invalid, and that, weighing that breach as a minor procedural defect together with the franchisees' subsequent implied consent, the first increase did not become invalid.
Supreme Court standard: The Supreme Court held that the franchisor must have the necessity of the change, the written presentation of the details, reasons and basis of the new price, and consultation with the franchisee, and that a unilateral change without those elements cannot bind the franchisee. The court below therefore erred in law in treating the procedure breach alone as leaving the increase valid. Since its finding that the franchisees consented afterwards by implication was right in the result, the error did not affect the judgment; on the remaining grounds, on the need for the price change and fraud, the second increase in material charges, the POS fees, damages and the probative value of the written records, the Court found no error and dismissed all the appeals.
Distinguishing conditions
- A supply price that the franchisor changed after presenting in writing the details, reasons and basis of the change and consulting with the franchisee, so that the elements of the contractual clause are present.
- A franchise agreement without a clause requiring written presentation and consultation, since the elements the Court stated were read from the proviso to Article 28(1) of the agreements in this case.
- A price increase to which the franchisee did not afterwards consent by word or conduct, so that the ground on which the court below kept the increase valid is absent.
Record verification notes
The Court derived the elements from the proviso to Article 28(1) of the franchise agreements, so set the disputed increase against that clause and gather what shows the written presentation of the details, the reasons and the basis of the new price, or its absence. Then look for what the court below treated as subsequent implied consent, such as the franchisees' conduct after the increase, since that is what kept the judgment standing. The official header lists Article 105 of the Civil Act among the provisions referred to, so confirm the wording of your own agreement and the version of the franchise statutes in force at the time.
From the official text
Points at issue
가맹본부인 갑 주식회사와 가맹점사업자들인 을 등이 체결한 가맹계약에서 가맹본부가 공급해야 할 원·부재료 등의 내역 및 가격을 정하면서, 물가인상 기타 경제여건의 변동으로 원·부재료 등의 가격 변경이 필요할 경우 가맹본부는 변경내역, 변경사유 및 변경가격 산출 근거를 가맹점사업자에 서면으로 제시하고 양 당사자가 협의하여 결정하도록 하였는데, 갑 회사가 위와 같은 절차를 거치지 않고 원·부재료 등의 공급가격을 인상한 사안에서, 위 가격인상은 가맹계약에 따른 서면 제시와 협의를 거치지 않은 것으로 무효이나, 다만 을 등이 이에 대하여 사후적·묵시적으로 동의한 것으로 볼 수 있다고 한 사례
Unofficial English translation
In a franchise agreement entered into between the franchisor, A Corporation, and the franchisees, including B, the details and prices of the raw and auxiliary materials, etc. to be supplied by the franchisor were stipulated, and it was provided that, where a change in the prices of the raw and auxiliary materials, etc. becomes necessary due to inflation or other changes in economic conditions, the franchisor shall present to the franchisee in writing the details of the change, the reasons for the change, and the basis for the calculation of the changed prices, and the parties shall determine the matter through consultation; in a case where A Corporation raised the supply prices of the raw and auxiliary materials, etc. without undergoing the foregoing procedure, a case in which it was held that the said price increase was void for failure to make the written presentation and hold the consultation required under the franchise agreement, but that B and others may be regarded as having consented thereto ex post facto and impliedly
Summary of the holding
가맹본부인 갑 주식회사와 가맹점사업자들인 을 등이 체결한 가맹계약에서 가맹본부가 공급해야 할 원·부재료 등의 내역 및 가격을 정하면서, 물가인상 기타 경제여건의 변동으로 원·부재료 등의 가격 변경이 필요할 경우 가맹본부는 변경내역, 변경사유 및 변경가격 산출 근거를 가맹점사업자에 서면으로 제시하고 양 당사자가 협의하여 결정하도록 하였는데, 갑 회사가 위와 같은 절차를 거치지 않고 원·부재료 등의 공급가격을 인상한 사안에서, 가맹본부가 원·부재료 등의 가격을 변경하기 위해서는 물가인상 기타 경제여건의 변동으로 인한 가격 변경의 필요성, 가맹점사업자에 대한 변경내역, 변경사유 및 변경가격 산출 근거에 관한 서면 제시, 가맹점사업자와의 협의라는 요건을 갖추어야 하고, 이러한 요건을 갖추지 못하였다면 가맹본부가 원·부재료 등의 가격을 일방적으로 변경하더라도 그 효력은 가맹점사업자에게 미치지 못한다고 보아야 하는데도, 위와 같은 서면 제시와 협의를 거치지 않은 가격인상이 무효가 아니라고 본 원심판단에 법리오해의 잘못이 있으나, 다만 을 등이 위 가격인상에 대하여 사후적·묵시적으로 동의하였다고 본 원심판단이 결론에 있어 정당하다고 한 사례.
Order
상고를 모두 기각한다. 상고비용은 원고들이 부담한다.
Unofficial English translation
All appeals are dismissed. The appeal costs shall be borne by the plaintiffs.
Provisions referred to
민법 제105조
Read 2026-10-24 · Cross-read 2026-10-24. All quotes matched against the official text. The Chinese-character placeholders the court used for anonymised parties are given in their Korean readings, and parenthetical Chinese-character glosses are omitted.
Every entry is published only after all quotes have been matched character by character against the official text, and audited by an independent second reading from a different model family across all eight axes. Both agreed axes and text-grounded interpretive divergences are recorded openly. The ledger is a research record, not an assessment of the court or advice on any matter.
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