17,531 complaints filed since 2020

8,419 closed without formal review

Lawmaker calls for scrutiny of case-handling system

About half of all complaints filed with the Korea Fair Trade Commission have been closed without a formal review, data showed. Last year, both the number of complaints received and the number closed without review hit their highest levels since 2020, with more than half of all complaints dismissed at the initial stage.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission at Government Complex Sejong in Sejong [Newsis]
The Korea Fair Trade Commission at Government Complex Sejong in Sejong [Newsis]

According to data submitted by the Fair Trade Commission to People Power Party lawmaker Park Sung-hoon of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, a total of 17,531 complaints were filed with the commission from 2020 through July this year. Of those, 8,419 cases, or 48.0 percent, were closed without a review being opened.

The annual number of complaints filed with the commission fell from 2,707 in 2020 to 2,422 in 2021, then held relatively steady at 2,512 in 2022 and 2,505 in 2023. The figure rose to 2,901 in 2024 and reached 3,053 last year. Through July this year, 1,431 complaints had been filed.

The number of cases closed without review followed a similar pattern. After declining from 1,337 in 2020 to 1,156 in 2021, the figure climbed to 1,233 in 2022, 1,268 in 2023 and 1,371 in 2024, before reaching 1,609 last year. From January through July this year, 445 such cases were recorded.

Last year marked a peak on both counts since 2020, with complaints received and cases closed without review both hitting their highest levels in that span. The share of complaints dismissed without review also exceeded half, at 52.7 percent.

A decision not to open a review does not necessarily indicate improper handling. The commission may decline to initiate a review when a complaint falls outside its statutory jurisdiction or when no evidence of a legal violation is found.

Still, given that a significant number of complaints are being closed at the initial stage, calls are growing for scrutiny of whether the criteria and procedures for such decisions are being applied appropriately. Whether the commission has sufficient staff and organizational capacity to handle the expanding volume of complaints has also been raised as an issue requiring examination.

"Thousands of complaints have failed to clear the review threshold, even from people who came to the Fair Trade Commission seeking relief from unfair practices," Park said. "We need to closely examine the grounds and criteria for decisions not to open a review, as well as the overall case-handling system, to ensure that legitimate complaints are not being filtered out at the initial stage."


y2k@heraldcorp.com