Joseonguk Fair Trade Commission Chairman "Mask Filter Distribution Companies, Investigation into Unfair Practices Underway"

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Cho Sung-wook (right) visited Sanggong Yanghaeng, a mask manufacturer located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on the 9th to encourage the employees' hard work.

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] On the 9th, Cho Sung-wook, Chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, announced, "We have launched an investigation since this morning to determine whether filter distributors supplying mask manufacturers are engaging in collusion or unfair practices."

On the same day, Chairman Cho visited Sanggong Yanghaeng, a mask manufacturer located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, to listen to their difficulties and made this statement.

Chairman Cho emphasized, "The government has also been making every effort to end COVID-19 and ensure the smooth supply of masks," adding, "The Fair Trade Commission plans to closely monitor all stages from 'manufacturing-distribution-consumption' of masks to prevent any unfair practices."

Earlier, the Fair Trade Commission detected legal violations by online shopping mall vendors who canceled consumer orders despite having mask stock, corrected the behavior immediately after investigation, and plans to take formal sanctions soon.

Subsequently, the Fair Trade Commission visited filter manufacturers directly at the end of last month to guide them against price collusion and has started investigations into unfair practices from today.

Chairman Cho stated, "If unfair practices are confirmed, we will immediately correct them and impose strict sanctions if necessary," adding, "Due to COVID-19, consumption has contracted, causing particular difficulties for small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners. The Fair Trade Commission will faithfully fulfill its necessary role to resolve these issues."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.