이 연구의 목적은 2007년 소비자기본법 시행 이후 한국소비자원과 1372소비자상담센터의 소비자상담과 소비자피해구제의변화 추이를 살펴보고 소비자문제 관련 분야의 전문가, 활동가, 실무자 등을 대상으로 소비자피해구제 관련 영역과 과제들에 대한인식 수준을 분석하는데 있다. 2007년∼2016년 한국소비자원과 1372소비자상담센터의 소비자상담 자료와 소비자문제 관련전문가, 활동가, 실무자 등을 대상으로 표본조사를 실시한 120부가 분석 자료로 사용되었다. 이 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다, 첫째, 소비자상담과 소비자피해구제 건수는 모두 2010년 1372소비자상담센터가 설립되면서 많이 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 2016년에는 2007년에 비해 소비자상담은 455,105건(140.4%p) 증가하였으며 소비자피해구제는 13,482건(57.5%p) 증가하였다. 소비자상담 및 소비자피해구제 비율 모두 경제활동이 활발한 30대가 가장 많았으며, 20대는 감소하였으나 40대 이상은 증가하는경향을 나타냈다. 한국소비자원의 소비자상담은 전화와 인터넷접수가 많았으나 1372소비자상담센터는 대부분 전화로 상담이이루어졌으며, 소비자피해구제는 팩스, 우편, 홈페이지로 접수되었다. 소비자상담과 소비자피해구제 모두 계약, 품질·A/S, 부당행위 관련 내용이 많았다. 소비자상담 상위 5대 품목은 인터넷서비스, 휴대폰, 스마트폰, 이동전화서비스, 콘도회원권, 헬스장·휘트니스센터 등이었으며, 피해구제 상위 5대 품목은 간편복, 신발, 세탁서비스, 회원권, 이동통신 등이었다. 둘째, 소비자기본법 시행 후 소비자문제 유형별 해결 정도, 소비자피해구제 영역별 향상 정도 및 소비자피해구제 관련법(제도)의강화 정도는 일반적으로 전문가 집단이 낮게 인식하고 있었으며 실무자 집단이 높게 인식하고 있었다. 그러나 소비자피해 예방체계강화, 소비자피해구제제도 선진화 제고, 소비자피해구제 효과성 제고, 소비자피해구제 전문성 강화, 소비자피해구제 접근성 향상등 효율적 소비자피해구제 관련 과제의 중요성은 전문가 집단이 높게 인식하고 있었으며 실무자 집단이 낮게 인식하고 있었다. 효율적 소비자피해구제를 위해 필요한 과제의 1, 2, 3순위를 종합하면, 소비자피해 예방체계 강화가 73.42%로 가장 많았으며, 그다음으로는 소비자피해구제 전문성 강화가 65.8%, 소비자피해구제 접근성 향상이 50.9%, 소비자피해구제제도 선진화가 44.2%, 소비자피해구제 효과성 제고가 40.9%이었다.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in consumer counseling and consumer damage reliefs of the Korea Consumer Agency(KCA) and 1372 Consumer Counseling Network(CCN) after the implementation of the Consumers Act and analyze the awareness on consumer damage relief-related areas and tasks of consumer affair experts, activists, working-level staff, etc. This study analyzed a total of 120 sets of sample surveys on consumer affairs experts, activists, working-level staff, etc. as well as the consumer counseling data of 1372 CCN and KCA from 2007 to 2016. The study findings are summarized as follows; First, consumer counseling and consumer damage relief were found to have become far more frequent with the establishment of the 1372 CCN. In 2016, the consumer counseling frequency increased by 455,105(140.44%p), compared with that in 2007. And, the number of consumer damage relief increased by 13,482(57.5%p). Those in their 30s formed the largest age group in booth consumer counseling and consumer damage relief as their economic activities are active. The number of people in their 20s dropped but that of those in their 40s tended to increase. The KCA was found to receive customer counseling frequently via telephone and the Internet whereas 1372 CCN counseled through phone for most of the cases. Consumer damage reliefs were received by fax, post and homepages. In both consumer counseling and consumer damage relief, many of the counselling cases were related to contract, product quality, warranty service and unfair behaviors. The top 5 products involved in frequent consumer counseling were Internet-based service, mobile phone, smart phone, mobile phone service, condominium membership, and gym/fitness center. The 5 most frequent products of damage relief were easywear, shoes, laundry service, membership, and mobile communication. Second, the expert group was found to have generally low awareness levels on the degree of problem solution according to consumer problem type after the implementation of the Framework Act on Consumers, degree of enhancement in each area of consumer damage relief and degree of reinforcement of consumer damage relief-related laws(system); whereas the working-level group had higher awareness levels on them. However, the expert group showed higher awareness on the significance of tasks related to efficient consumer damage relief such as reinforced consumer damage prevention system, improved consumer damage relief scheme, improved consumer damage relief effectiveness, strengthened consumer damage relief specialty, expanded access to consumer damage relief; whereas the working-level group showed low awareness. To sum the findings for efficient consumer damage relief system, the No. 1 task to be dealt with was the reinforced consumer damage prevention system that recorded 73.42%, the highest; followed by strengthened consumer damage relief specialty, 65.8%; expanded access to consumer damage relief, 50.9%; advancement of consumer damage relief scheme, 44.2%; and improved consumer damage relief effectiveness, 40.9%.

consumer counseling, consumer damage reliefs, Korea Consumer Agency, 1372 Consumer Counseling Network