Korea’s antitrust chief signals tougher rules for digital platforms

By Moon Joon-hyun, The Korea Herald - South Korea’s antitrust regulator is preparing to intervene more directly in how digital platforms operate, arguing that unchecked platform power now affects everyday consumer choice, pricing and trust as much as it does corporate competition.

That was the core message from Ju Biung-ghi, chair of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, who on Monday presented the agency’s 2026 policy direction at a policy luncheon hosted in Seoul by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

Ju said Korea’s competition rules must adapt to an economy increasingly mediated by a small number of digital platforms. “Online platforms connect multiple sides of the market at once: consumers, sellers, advertisers and workers,” he said. “Because transaction costs are so low, a few platforms can quickly dominate entire ecosystems.”

This concentration, Ju argued, changes how competition issues manifest. Instead of obvious price hikes, harm often shows up as reduced consumer choice, opaque fees or business practices that sellers and users cannot realistically refuse. The commission will step up monitoring of delivery apps and online marketplaces, focusing on pricing transparency, settlement delays and one-sided contract terms. “Consumers need clear information across the full transaction cycle,” Ju said, “from ordering to payment and settlement.”

Ju highlighted the commission’s recent consent resolution with Google as a model for addressing fast-moving digital markets. The case involved concerns that Google’s bundling of YouTube video and music services restricted competition by making rival services harder to access. “In digital markets, time matters,” Ju said. “A consent resolution allows us to change conduct faster than years of litigation, which ultimately benefits consumers.”

He stressed that such agreements are not a retreat from enforcement. “They are corrective tools,” he said, designed to restore consumer choice while technology and market behavior continue to evolve.

Beyond platforms, Ju pointed to subcontracting practices as a structural issue with consumer consequences. “Unfair subcontracting leads to delayed payments, cost-cutting and sometimes safety risks,” he said. The KFTC plans to expand payment guarantee obligations and promote electronic payment systems to ensure funds reach subcontractors and workers as intended.

Cartel enforcement remains another priority. Ju cited a March 2025 decision in which three telecommunications companies were fined a combined 114 billion won ($77.6 million) for colluding over mobile number portability, limiting how easily consumers could switch carriers, according to the KFTC.

Ju also said the commission will seek higher statutory ceilings for administrative fines and broader civil remedies. “Compared with the US, the EU and Japan, Korea’s penalties are still low,” he said.

James Kim, chair of AMCHAM Korea, added that fair competition and consumer protection are “fundamental to a digital economy people can trust.”

Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10636741?ref=naver