Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa: 2,207 cases from 44 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
Click a bar to drill down one level.
Where?
by authority- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) €689.9m 100 % · 9 cases
What for?
by topicWho?
by sectorAll sectors
- Food and agriculture €384.3m 56 % · 1 case
- Financial services and insurance €158.2m 23 % · 1 case
- Telecoms, IT and software €72.1m 10 % · 1 case
- Automotive €31.3m 5 % · 1 case
- Media and online platforms €30.2m 4 % · 2 cases
- Transport, logistics and shipping €10m 1 % · 1 case
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering €1.93m 0 % · 1 case
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals €1.9m 0 % · 1 case
When?
per year, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | €1.9m |
| 2023 | 2 | €60.5m |
| 2024 | 1 | €10m |
| 2025 | 2 | €73.1m |
| 2026 | 3 | €544.4m |
9 cases
9 Sep 2026 Moorim P&P, Moorim Paper, Hansol Paper u. a. (6 Unternehmen)Bid-rigging for printing paper for Nongmin News: six paper firms sanctioned €1.93m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), six manufacturers and distributors of printing paper fixed in advance the winning bidder, cover bidders and bid prices in six tenders issued by the publisher Nongmin News Corp. between June 2021 and November 2024; the average winning bid rate was around 96.2%, compared with 87.6% in 2018 to 2020. The KFTC issued corrective orders, imposed fines totalling KRW 3,009 million (Moorim SP KRW 59 million, Moorim Paper KRW 573 million, Moorim P&P KRW 948 million, Hansol Paper KRW 556 million, Hankuk Paper KRW 515 million, Hongwon Paper KRW 358 million).
Competition compliance reviews should always cover tender business as well as general pricing, because collusion there often runs in parallel.
Bid-rigging in tenders
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 8 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Published
- 9 Sep 2026
Original amount 3,009,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Sep 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 10 Sep 2026: KFTC Sanctions Bid-Rigging in Nongmin News Corp. Printing Paper Tenders Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 09.09.2026: 농민신문사 발주 인쇄용지 입찰담합 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Unternehmen und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
20 May 2026 Sajo DongAOne, Daehan Flour Mills, CJ CheilJedang u. a. (7 Unternehmen)Flour cartel: record KRW 671bn fine on seven mills €384.3m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), seven flour manufacturers with a combined 87.7% of the B2B market coordinated, on 24 occasions between November 2019 and October 2025, the timing and extent of price changes as well as supply volumes and supply rankings towards large buyers such as noodle and confectionery manufacturers, including while receiving government price stabilisation subsidies. In addition to a cease-and-desist order, the KFTC ordered an independent re-determination of prices and imposed fines totalling KRW 671,045 million, the highest amount in any cartel case to date: Sajo DongAOne KRW 183,097 million, Daehan Flour Mills KRW 179,273 million, CJ CheilJedang KRW 131,701 million, Samyang KRW 94,787 million, Daesun Flour Mills KRW 38,448 million, Hantop KRW 24,291 million, Samhwa Flour Mills KRW 19,448 million.
Anyone already sanctioned for a cartel must expect considerably harsher consequences if contacts with competitors resume.
Price and volume agreements with competitors
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und Nr. 3 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Repeat case
- yes
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 20 May 2026
Original amount 671,045,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 May 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 21 May 2026: Sanctions Imposed on Seven Flour Millers for Flour Price-Fixing Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 20.05.2026: 7개 제분사 밀가루 담합 적발·제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Tabelle 5 (Geldbußen je Mühle) und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
21 Jan 2026 KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, Hana BankFour major banks exchanged loan-to-value ratios: KRW 272bn fine €158.2m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), the four banks exchanged their complete loan-to-value (LTV) ratios for mortgage lending over a long period, between 736 and 7,500 individual values per bank, and adjusted their own ratios accordingly; only conduct from December 2021, when the express prohibition of anti-competitive information exchange entered into force, was pursued. The KFTC issued cease-and-desist orders and fines totalling KRW 272,014 million (Kookmin KRW 69,747 million, Shinhan KRW 63,801 million, Woori KRW 51,535 million, Hana KRW 86,931 million), the first application of that provision.
Exchanging individual contract terms with competitors is a stand-alone competition law infringement even without price fixing.
Information exchange with competitors
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 9 MRFTA i. V. m. Art. 44 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 Durchführungsverordnung (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Published
- 21 Jan 2026
Original amount 272,014,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Jan 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 22 Jan 2026: KFTC Sanctions Four Major Commercial Banks for Collusive Information Exchange Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 21.01.2026: 4대 시중은행의 정보교환의 담합 행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Bank und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
12 Aug 2025 Nol Universe Co., Ltd. (Yanolja), Yeogi Eottae CompanyBooking platforms Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae let prepaid discount coupons expire €954,488
The two leading accommodation booking platforms sold small and medium-sized lodging businesses advertising packages whose price included discount coupons for guests, and let unused coupons expire without compensation (Yanolja at the end of the contract period, Yeogi Eottae through a validity of only one day). The KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority) treated this as an abuse of a superior bargaining position, issued corrective and notification orders and imposed fines totalling KRW 1,540 million: KRW 540 million on Nol Universe (Yanolja) and KRW 1,000 million, the statutory maximum fixed-amount fine, on Yeogi Eottae.
Platforms must not devalue services that partners have already paid for through unilateral expiry rules.
Fair terms towards dependent business partners on platforms
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 45 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 MRFTA i. V. m. Art. 52 und Anhang 2 Nr. 6 lit. d Durchführungsverordnung (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 12 Aug 2025
Original amount 1,540,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Aug 2025.
- KFTC press release (EN), 13 Aug 2025: KFTC Sanctions Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae for Abuse of Superior Bargaining Position Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 12.08.2025: 2개 숙박앱 사업자의 거래상지위 남용행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Rechtsgrundlage und Maßnahmen je Unternehmen Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
12 Mar 2025 SK Telecom Co., Ltd., KT Co., Ltd., LG Uplus Co., Ltd.Mobile cartel: SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus jointly steered switching figures €72.1m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), the three mobile network operators agreed in November 2015 to balance net gains and losses of new subscribers porting their numbers so that they would not concentrate on one operator, and implemented this until the end of September 2022 by coordinating their sales incentives for dealers with one another; they exchanged the information in a joint market monitoring group with the industry association KAIT. The KFTC issued cease-and-desist orders and provisionally set fines totalling KRW 114,026 million (SK Telecom KRW 42,662 million, KT KRW 33,029 million, LG Uplus KRW 38,334 million).
Self-regulatory bodies must not become a forum in which competitors coordinate customer gains and terms.
Cartel risks in industry bodies and self-regulation
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 12 Mar 2025
Original amount 114,026,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Mar 2025.
- KFTC press release (EN), 13 Mar 2025: KFTC Sanctions Three Telecommunication Companies for Collusion in Mobile Number Portability New Subscriber Adjustments Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 12.03.2025: 이동통신 3사의 담합행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Unternehmen und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
17 Dec 2024 Kakao Mobility Inc.Kakao Mobility blocked drivers of rival taxi services: KRW 15.1bn fine €10m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), Kakao Mobility, dominant in app-based general taxi hailing with a 96% share (2022), required four competing franchise taxi operators (UT, TADA, Banban, Macaron Taxi) to sign partnership agreements granting real-time access to business-sensitive data and otherwise excluded their drivers from general hailing via Kakao T. Following its plenary deliberation on 25 September 2024, the KFTC ordered remedies and announced a provisional fine of KRW 72.4 billion; after the Securities and Futures Commission had determined that revenue must be recognised on a net basis, it announced on 17 December 2024 that the fine had been finally set at KRW 15.1 billion.
A dominant platform must not make access to its core service conditional on competitors handing over sensitive business data.
Self-preferencing and exclusion of competitors by platforms
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 und Art. 45 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Published
- 17 Dec 2024
Original amount 15,100,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Dec 2024.
- KFTC press release (EN), 2 Oct 2024: KFTC Sanctions Kakao Mobility for Abuse of Market Dominance (Scan) Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 02.10.2024: 카카오모빌리티의 시장지배적지위 남용행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF), 02.10.2024: Rechtsgrundlagen (공정거래법 제5조 제1항 제3호, 제45조 제1항 제6호) und Marktanteil Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressehinweis (KO), 17.12.2024: ㈜카카오모빌리티의 콜차단 시지남용 건, 과징금 확정 (151억 원) Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressehinweis (KO, PDF), 17.12.2024: endgültige Festsetzung der Geldbuße nach Nettomethode Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
Report an error
11 Apr 2023 a US tech group and two subsidiariesUS tech group obstructed rival app store: KRW 42.1bn fine €29.2m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), from June 2016 to April 2018 the group made benefits for game developers, such as prominent placement (featuring) in its app store and support for overseas expansion, conditional on their not releasing their games on a rival Korean app market. The KFTC treated this as an abuse of a dominant position and as unfair exclusive dealing, prohibited the practice, required an internal monitoring system with a reporting obligation and provisionally set a fine of KRW 42.1 billion against the parent company and its Korean and Asia-Pacific subsidiaries.
A dominant company must not make promotional support conditional on partners avoiding competing platforms.
Exclusive dealing by dominant platforms
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 3-2 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 und Art. 23 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 MRFTA a. F. (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 11 Apr 2023
Original amount 42,100,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Apr 2023.
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), Veröffentlichung der Behörde (Entscheidung 2023) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 11 Apr 2025 · Direct link
Report an error
9 Feb 2023 four German carmakersAdBlue dosing agreement: fines for three German carmakers in Korea €31.3m
The KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority) sanctioned an agreement reached in 2006 by the four German manufacturers to use a dosing strategy with lower AdBlue consumption in the software of their SCR exhaust after-treatment systems; in doing so they had blocked the development of more effective nitrogen oxide reduction and deprived buyers in Korea of the choice of cleaner diesel cars. In addition to cease-and-desist orders, it provisionally set fines totalling KRW 42,372 million (first manufacturer KRW 20,743 million, second manufacturer KRW 15,656 million, third manufacturer KRW 5,973 million; the breakdown shows no amount for the fourth manufacturer). According to the KFTC, it was its first action against an agreement in the field of research and development.
Even technical coordination in joint development bodies is a cartel if competitors use it to fix product characteristics such as environmental performance.
Cartel risks in joint development and standard-setting bodies
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 19 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 MRFTA a. F. (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 9 Feb 2023
Original amount 42,372,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Feb 2023.
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), Veröffentlichung der Behörde (Entscheidung 2023) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 9 Feb 2025 · Direct link
Report an error
13 Oct 2022 five pharmaceutical companiesPay-for-delay in cancer drugs: KFTC sanctions originator and generic manufacturers €1.9m
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC, Korea's competition authority) objected to an agreement concluded at the end of September 2016 under which the generics side undertook not to manufacture or launch generic versions of three cancer drugs in Korea from October 2016 to December 2020, receiving in return exclusive distribution rights for these originator products from the originator side; according to the KFTC, the arrangement was terminated early on 12 January 2018. It issued cease-and-desist orders against all five companies (two on the originator side, including its Korean company, and three on the generics side, including its Korean company) and provisionally set fines totalling KRW 2,645 million: KRW 1,146 million for the originator side and KRW 1,499 million for the generics side.
Distribution or licensing agreements with a potential generic manufacturer must not contain a clause that rules out its own market entry.
Agreements with potential competitors to refrain from market entry (pay-for-delay)
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 19 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 MRFTA a. F. (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act; heute Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 3)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 13 Oct 2022
Original amount 2,645,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 13 Oct 2022.
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), Veröffentlichung der Behörde (Entscheidung 2022) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 13 Oct 2024 · Direct link