Article 77Responding to Complaints from Investors

①If an investor files for the resolution of a complaint involving business carried out by an association member or a financial instruments intermediary service provider, in addition to providing the claimant with the necessary advice and investigating the circumstances to which the complaint pertains based on its consultation with the claimant, the authorized association must notify the association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider of the substance and content of the complaint and request that it process the complaint expeditiously.

②If an authorized association finds that it is necessary in connection with the resolution of a complaint under a filing referred to in the preceding paragraph, it may request the relevant association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider to provide a written or oral explanation or submit materials.

③If an association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider has had a request under the preceding paragraph from an authorized association, it must not refuse this request without just cause for doing so.

④An authorized association must fully inform its association members and financial instruments intermediary service providers about any filing as referred to in paragraph (1), the circumstances to which the complaint pertains, and the outcome of its resolution.

⑤The provisions of paragraph (1) do not apply if an authorized association has obtained a designation under Article 156-39, paragraph (1) and the filing referred to in paragraph (1) is for a complaint in the category of dispute resolution services (meaning a category of dispute resolution services as prescribed in Article 156-38, paragraph (12); the same applies in paragraph (9) of the following Article (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 79-13) to which that designation pertains).