The Fair Trade Commission announced on the 27th that Hwang Won-cheol, Director of the Cartel Investigation Bureau, and Ahn Byung-hoon, Tribunal Management Officer, will be appointed as new Standing Commissioner and Investigation Management Officer, respectively, effective the 30th.
Newly appointed Standing Commissioner Hwang Won-cheol, after passing the 41st civil service examination, entered public service in 1998 and has held positions such as director of corporate groups, and director of competition policy at the Fair Trade Commission, before serving as the director of the Corporate Group Bureau and the Cartel Investigation Bureau.
While serving as director of the Cartel Investigation Bureau, he focused on investigating cartel cases in essential goods and areas closely related to the public, including the "built-in furniture bid rigging" affecting apartment sale prices and management fees. During his tenure as director of the Corporate Group Bureau, he sanctioned the acts of unfair profit-taking by Korea Tire Group through the overpricing of affiliate parts purchases.
A Fair Trade Commission official noted, "Commissioner Hwang, who acquired a Ph.D. in industrial organization economics from the University of North Carolina, is expected to make a significant contribution to the commission's decisions with outstanding analytical capabilities in economics and extensive experience in various cases and tribunal duties."
Newly appointed Investigation Management Officer Ahn Byung-hoon, who passed the 40th civil service examination, entered the Fair Trade Commission in 1997 and has held key positions such as special transactions officer, head of cartel control, Spokesperson, and head of tribunal management.
While serving as the head of tribunal management, Officer Ahn pushed for system improvements to streamline and enhance the hearing procedures, such as expanding the summary procedure. As a Spokesperson, Ahn produced "The Unfair One," the first YouTube web drama by a central administrative agency, receiving favorable reviews to promote the agency's work.
A Fair Trade Commission official noted, "Officer Ahn has ample experience handling major cases and tribunal duties," adding that with U.S. attorney qualifications, Ahn is expected to greatly enhance credibility as the investigation management officer overseeing commission cases."