Former Minister Jo Kyung-sik Who Created the Fair Trade Act Passes Away

Served as the First Minister of Environment in 1990 and Other Positions

Jo Kyung-sik, former Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, known as the founder of the Fair Trade Act, passed away on the 29th at the age of 88.

Born in October 1936 in Miryang, Gyeongnam, Jo graduated from Gyeongbuk National University High School and Seoul National University College of Commerce before starting his public service career at the Ministry of Reconstruction (now the Ministry of Strategy and Finance).

After the Ministry of Reconstruction was renamed the Economic Planning Board, he served as the first Director of the Middle East Division, leading the "Middle East boom" in the 1970s. He later held key positions such as Director of Economic Cooperation, Director General of Budget, and Budget Office Chief.

During his tenure as Director at the Economic Planning Board in 1980, he proposed the enactment of the Fair Trade Act (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act) to regulate unfair trade practices such as collusion. After the law was enforced in April 1981, he was appointed as the 3rd Chairman of the Fair Trade Commission in 1983, leading the competition authority for nearly four years.

Immediately after his appointment as chairman, he actively investigated subcontracting corruption such as price undercutting by large construction companies and issued corrective orders against major corporations for the first time.

He later served as Commissioner of the Korea Maritime and Port Authority and Vice Minister of Transportation before being appointed as the first Minister of Environment in 1990. From September of the same year to March 1992, he served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. During this period, he participated in the Uruguay Round negotiations, blocking the opening of the rice market while promoting the opening of the textile market.

He subsequently served as President of Korea Maritime University and Chairman of the Korea Maritime Institute, and since April last year, he had been the head of Deokcheon Seowon in Sancheong. He is survived by his wife Park Sun-ja and their two sons and one daughter.