Six Homeplus stores in South Korea face possible electricity cuts over unpaid bills, threatening operations at the retailer and businesses housed at the sites, The Korea Herald reported.
Korea Electric Power Corp. sets a warning threshold at two months of unpaid bills and permits service suspension after three months. The utility may postpone a cutoff.
Industry sources cited by The Korea Herald said stores in Pocheon, Goyang, Namyangju and Paju could face service interruptions from Oct. 27 to 30. The report said six stores had received notices but did not specify how many were in each city. The Korea Herald also reported that a Songdo, Incheon, store may face a cutoff in November.
The Korea Herald estimated that roughly 10 tenants at each affected site hoped to continue operating. A Homeplus official said an electricity interruption would leave the affected locations unable to continue business.
The outlet described Homeplus as short of cash and said it had reportedly paid employees part of their wages in installments. Potential cutoffs in the four cities could begin Oct. 27; the Songdo location's possible cutoff is expected in November.
