Top 10 Companies
Cumulative Fines Reach 744.6 Billion Won and 243 Legal Violations in the Past Three and a Half Years
Over the past three and a half years, Coupang has been identified as the company that received the highest amount of fines imposed by the Fair Trade Commission. Hyundai Department Store Group recorded the most sanctions in terms of the number of cases.
According to data on corporate group sanctions obtained from the Fair Trade Commission by Assemblyman Choo Kyungho, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, as of October 19, 2025, Coupang ranked first in cumulative fines from 2022 to the first half of this year, totaling approximately 162.8 billion won.
Coupang topped the list due to a single case in which it was sanctioned for violating the Fair Trade Act. The company was accused of manipulating its search algorithm and boosting its product rankings on Coupang to increase sales of its private brand (PB) products and directly purchased goods last year.
The next highest fines were imposed on Hyundai Motor Company (119.4 billion won), Harim (101.6 billion won), and SK (64.5 billion won). The cumulative fines for the top ten companies amounted to 744.6 billion won.
During the same period, Hyundai Department Store Group had the highest number of cumulative legal violations resulting in warnings or more severe sanctions, with a total of 38 violations.
Hyundai Department Store Group ranked first in this category due to repeated cases of furniture price-fixing involving its affiliate, Hyundai Livart.
Other companies on the list included Hanssem (33 violations), SK (31 violations), and Enex (28 violations). The top ten companies accounted for a total of 243 legal violations.
Assemblyman Choo Kyungho pointed out, "Most of the companies fined by the Fair Trade Commission are closely linked to the daily lives of the public," and emphasized, "The Fair Trade Commission must take responsibility and carry out its work to prevent damage from unfair trade practices."
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