Hansung Sook Says It Is Inappropriate to Comment on Two Fines Imposed During Naver CEO Tenure as Cases Are Under Trial

Hansung Sook, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated that it would be inappropriate to comment on the two fines imposed by the Fair Trade Commission during her tenure as CEO of Naver, as the cases are currently under trial.

Hansung Sook, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, is delivering an opening statement at the confirmation hearing held at the plenary session of the National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on July 15, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On the morning of July 15, at the confirmation hearing held during the plenary session of the National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, Han responded to a question from Park Hyungsoo, a member of the People Power Party, by saying, "I explained the relevant details during the Fair Trade Commission’s investigation at the time, and as far as I know, the case is currently under appeal."

During Han’s tenure as CEO, Naver was fined 26.7 billion won by the Fair Trade Commission for manipulating its search algorithm from February 2012 to August 2020 to support its own shopping mall platform, Smart Store, thereby disadvantaging competing open market vendors. In March 2021, Han filed an administrative lawsuit, arguing that Naver’s algorithm design was intended to enhance consumer utility, but the High Court ruled in favor of the Fair Trade Commission. Naver subsequently appealed, and the case is still under review by the Supreme Court. Additionally, Naver was fined for forcing exclusive contracts on portal vendors.

On this day, Han also expressed her commitment to supporting the digital transformation of SMEs and small business owners. In response to Park’s question, "As someone from a large corporation, how can you represent SMEs and small business owners who need protection from the abuses of big companies?" Han replied, "When I was at Naver and created Smart Store, I thought that if we could digitize the stores run by small business owners, we could grow together," adding, "I will support the digital transformation of SMEs and small business owners to help them secure new growth engines."