South Korea antitrust agency sets out tougher cartel, platform enforcement agenda
( July 28, 2026, 03:46 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Korea Fair Trade Commission chief Ju Biung-ghi told the National Assembly’s National Policy Committee on Tuesday that the regulator will focus this year on addressing bargaining-power imbalances, cracking down on unfair conduct in consumer-facing sectors and promoting fair competition in digital markets. He said the KFTC plans to shorten payment deadlines for large retailers, support collective bargaining by small businesses and pursue stronger measures against repeat cartel offenders, including possible registration cancellation or business suspension. It will also continue enforcement against unfair practices by dominant domestic and foreign online platforms, tighten oversight of self-dealing and improper internal transactions by large business groups and consider reforms targeting regulatory evasion and incentives for duplicate listings within holding-company structures. The agency is seeking more than 400 additional staff and plans to rationalize criminal penalties for economic offenses while strengthening financial sanctions.The statements are attached (in Korean). ...
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