Agency earns high marks for enforcement despite drop in total fines

The Korea Fair Trade Commission has received a "Very Good" rating — four and a half stars — in Global Competition Review's 2026 assessment of competition authorities worldwide, the British competition law publication announced.

The Fair Trade Commission said Monday it has maintained either an "Elite" or "Very Good" rating for 13 consecutive years since 2014.

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

GCR has published annual ratings of competition authorities around the world since 2001, evaluating each agency's enforcement record from the previous year based on submissions from the authorities themselves and assessments from outside experts.

This year's review covered the 2025 performance of 28 competition authorities. Ratings are divided into four tiers: "Elite" (five stars), "Very Good" (four and a half stars), "Good" (three to three and a half stars) and "Fair" (two to two and a half stars).

The Fair Trade Commission placed joint third alongside the competition authorities of Australia, France and Brazil, behind the EU's Directorate-General for Competition and Germany's Federal Cartel Office, which received the top rating.

GCR noted that the Fair Trade Commission improved its cartel enforcement record and accelerated its investigation processing speed last year, even as the total amount of fines imposed fell.

The number of cartel sanctions last year reached 174 cases, more than double the 83 recorded the previous year, while the number of cases resulting in fines rose from 52 to 147 over the same period. The average investigation period shrank by 53 days, from 184 days to 131 days.

The result is drawing additional attention amid concerns raised by some in US political circles that the Fair Trade Commission discriminates against American companies.

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Ju said in a CBS Radio interview in September that US competition authorities and experts in the field are well aware of the agency's capabilities. "Korea's competition authority has been known for decades as an institution that enforces the law more rigorously than competition authorities in other advanced countries," Ju said.

Citing GCR's ratings, Ju added that the agency "has consistently ranked at the top or excellent — always in the top five."


y2k@heraldcorp.com