Reporting Unfair Trade Practices to the Fair Trade Commission

Procedure

1. 1. Confirm the conduct is reportable

   Article 45, paragraph 1 of the Act lists unfair trade practices such as unjustified refusal to deal, discrimination against trading partners, exclusion of competitors, unjust use of a superior transactional position, trading on restrictive conditions and interference with business activities. The specific types and standards are set in Appendix 2 under Article 52 of the Enforcement Decree, so match what happened to the wording of the appendix. Subcontracting, franchise and dealership transactions may fall under separate laws, so check the transaction structure first.

2. 2. Organize the facts and evidence

   Arrange in chronological order when, who, in which transaction and what act occurred, and link evidence such as contracts, messages, emails, tax invoices and summaries of recorded calls. The Commission cannot order corrective measures or impose penalty surcharges once 7 years have passed from the end of the violation (Article 80, paragraph 4), so identify the end date for older matters.

3. 3. Prepare and submit the report

   Article 71 of the Enforcement Decree requires a written report containing the reporter's name and address, the respondent's address, representative's name and business, the content of the violation, and matters that clarify the violation. In urgent or unavoidable cases, a report by phone or orally is possible. Choose the submission channel (mail, visit or online) according to the Commission's guidance.

4. 4. Follow the investigation and check the notice of result

   The Commission investigates as needed, and whether or not it takes action, it notifies the parties in writing of the grounds, content and reasons (Article 80, paragraph 3). If a request for materials arrives during the investigation, supplement them within the deadline.

5. 5. Request re-investigation if no action is taken

   If the Commission investigates a report but takes no action, it must notify the reporter of the reasons in writing, and the reporter may request re-investigation with supporting grounds within 30 days of receiving the notice (Article 96-2). If accepted, a different investigator from the one who handled the first investigation conducts it again.

Required documents

• Report (no prescribed form; a written document containing the items in Article 71 of the Enforcement Decree)
• Material identifying the reporter's name and address (copy of ID or business registration certificate)
• Material on the respondent's address, representative and business (business registration certificate, transaction records)
• Fact summary of the violation (chronological account)
• Evidence (contracts, messages and emails, tax invoices, transaction records)

Fees

Certificate issuance fees and postage are actual costs. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the amount of facts and evidence; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, Article 45
• Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, Article 80
• Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, Article 96-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, Article 52
• Enforcement Decree of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, Article 71

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-19

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• After receiving a notice of no action, decide within 30 days whether to request re-investigation.
• Stating unfounded facts in the report may work against you in later investigation, so write mainly confirmed facts.

Frequently asked questions