South Korea proposes up to 10% surcharge payouts for antitrust whistleblowers
( May 21, 2026, 03:01 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: South Korea’s antitrust regulator proposed scrapping existing caps on whistleblower rewards for cartel and other unfair-trade cases, allowing payouts of up to 10 percent of imposed surcharges on antitrust violations with no upper limit. The Korea Fair Trade Commission said Thursday the change is aimed at encouraging insider reports in cartel and other unfair-trade cases, where covert conduct can be difficult to detect without internal evidence. The proposal would also expand eligible evidence in unfair-support and private-benefit-tunneling cases to include materials showing intent and allow higher reward rates for technical-protection monitors who help uncover technology misappropriation. It would also permit limited payout reductions for poor cooperation or informant involvement in misconduct, while adjusting payment timing to reflect actual surcharge collection and final confirmation. The regulator plans to finalize and implement the revision in the first half after consultations through June 10.Statement is attached (in Korean). ...
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