FTC chief vows to 'restore justice' as court clears way for Coupang probe

The head of Korea's antitrust watchdog, Ju Biung-ghi, pledged on Tuesday to restore justice after a local court recently cleared the path for the agency to resume its delayed investigation into e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. The chief's remarks came during an interview with local radio broadcaster CBS, indicating the FTC's determination to restart its probe.

In the previous month, Coupang declined to cooperate with the watchdog's on-site investigation into allegations that the company had passed on the costs of discounts to its suppliers, requesting a court injunction to halt the inspection. Initially, the court temporarily suspended the FTC's on-site probe, but it eventually denied Coupang's request to halt the investigation last week.

Ju stated that Coupang interacts with various vendors, and the company may face regulatory action if it imposes unfavorable terms on them. He emphasized that the court's decision to rule in favor of the public interest, including the rights of economically vulnerable entities and hundreds of thousands of small merchants, is a relief.