The Double Bind of Public Delivery Platforms: A Case Study of Baedal Teukgeup in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Seo, Jeongone. The Double Bind of Public Delivery Platforms: A Case Study of Baedal Teukgeup in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. New York: Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy, 2026.
This report analyzes why Baedal Teukgeup, Gyeonggi-do’s public food-delivery platform in South Korea, struggled despite political support and subsidies. Seo argues that public platforms face a “double bind”: they must build strong network effects and user-retention systems while operating through public governance structures that slow experimentation, procurement, and accountability. The study shows that coupons and discounts encouraged trial use but failed to create lasting adoption because logistics, app improvement, data capacity, and dispatch systems lagged behind. The report recommends shifting from state-run app competition toward “Government-as-a-Platform”: public digital infrastructure, open APIs, payment rails, and registries that allow multiple services, including cooperatives, to compete fairly.