Fair trade chairman eyes price-fixers, free dailies
Published: 15 Sep. 2009, 01:22
Chung Ho-yul
The head of the antitrust agency said he had also consented to a three-year extension in the so-called “newspaper regulation,” which limits the number of free newspapers offered for promotion. Chung said he had considered the social cost expected to follow the abolishing of the 10-year-old regulation, but he thinks the regulation fails to promote competition. The term was extended last month.
The agency is closely watching cartel and other unfair practices regarding daily necessities such as fuel, beverages and mobile services, in order to protect consumers, Chung said at FTC’s headquarters in southern Seoul yesterday. It was Chung’s first press meeting since he took over as chairman on July 30.
“We are preparing deliberations on six LPG providers, suspected of having fixed their prices for six years,” Chung said. “If we conclude that they did so, bringing about hikes in the cost of living and burdening working-class people, we will take severe measures.” Chung did not reveal the names of the six companies, but they include local industry leaders, FTC officials said.
The antitrust agency is also preparing deliberations on eight large-size general hospitals for allegedly forcing patients to choose special treatments between two options of ordinary treatments and higher-price special treatments, Chung said.
In addition, it is investigating nine online music file providers including affiliates of mobile phone service providers for alleged price-fixing.
“By tightening our watch on goods and services closely related with daily lives of working-class consumers, we will protect the market economy in the long run,” he said.
He said the agency is focusing on foods and gift sets for the Chuseok holidays, Korea’s Thanksgiving, surveying the marketing and sales practices at department stores and discount stores.
Asked about his policies toward conglomerates, he said, “I welcome the abolishment of the investment cap on large conglomerates and will encourage them to get a more transparent governance structure, by loosening qualification regulations on conversion to a holding-company system [of simple and transparent governance structure].”
By Moon So-young [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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