South Korea lawmakers target inspection loophole after Coupang challenge
( August 26, 2026, 08:32 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Coupang’s recent refusal to submit to a Korea Fair Trade Commission onsite inspection has prompted lawmakers to propose legislative changes aimed at closing what they describe as a procedural gap that companies can exploit to delay unannounced administrative investigations, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Kang-il said in a statement Wednesday. A bill spearheaded by Lee would add the Fair Transactions in Large Retail Business Act, Fair Agency Transactions Act, Framework Act on Consumers and other laws to those exempt from the Framework Act on Administrative Investigations. That would remove the need for regulators to justify unannounced inspections under exceptions to the law’s general seven-day notice rule, including the risk of evidence destruction. Existing law already exempts investigations under statutes including the competition and subcontracting laws.Statement is attached (in Korean)....
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