How do I report unfair trade?

Unfair high-priced purchasing is also a kind of act to exclude competing businesses, so it can be considered an unfair trade act.

According to Article 45 of the Fair Trade Act, the act of unfairly excluding competitors of a competitor is clearly stated and prohibited as an unfair trade act.

In addition to this, unfairly inducing customers through misrepresentation or unfair benefits, or abusing one's position in transactions to force purchases or provision of benefits, may also constitute an unfair trade act.

Examples of unfair trade acts
▶ Joint refusal to deal
▶ Discriminatory treatment such as price discrimination, transaction condition discrimination
▶ Excluding competing businesses such as unfair high-priced purchasing
▶ Obstruction of business activities such as unfair use of technology

If this applies, you can file an unfair trade report with the Fair Trade Commission, and if a violation of the Fair Trade Act is recognized, corrective measures and penalty surcharges may be imposed.

Also, if a violation of the Fair Trade Act is criminally recognized, you may be subject to imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 200 million won.

Depending on the case, the punishment for unfair customer inducement and forced transactions is imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 150 million won, which may be relatively light.

If you want to file an unfair trade report, I recommend seeking advice from a specialized attorney to accurately understand the situation and proceed.