It was confirmed on the 12th that the Korea Fair Trade Commission will place the "sugar price-fixing allegations" involving CJ CheilJedang, Samyang Corporation, and TS Corporation on the agenda of the full commission meeting next month. This is interpreted to mean that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is entering the stage of soon concluding whether to impose sanctions.
According to ChosunBiz's reporting, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) plans to hold a full commission meeting next month to deliberate on collusion by the three sugar manufacturing and sales companies. The full commission is the top decision-making body of the Korea Fair Trade Commission and is equivalent to a first-instance court. Nine Commissioners, including the chair, vice chair, standing members, and non-standing members, attend to decide whether to impose sanctions such as a penalty surcharge based on the review findings and the respondent's arguments.
The full commission schedule may be adjusted according to internal timelines, but there is a strong possibility that deliberations will take place around Feb. 11, before the Lunar New Year holiday at the earliest, or at the latest within February. This full commission meeting comes about two years after the on-site investigation began in March 2024.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) believes the three companies restricted competition by coordinating sugar shipment prices and volumes. Sugar is a key intermediate good used as materials and supplies for many processed foods such as snacks, bread, and beverages. Given that price fluctuations directly affect consumer prices, the case is expected to have significant repercussions.
The key issue in this case is whether information exchange and price coordination among sugar manufacturers can be recognized as collusion under the Fair Trade Act. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is said to see anti-competitive effects based on factors such as similar timing and magnitude of sugar price increases. The full commission is expected to focus on whether these circumstances amount to an "agreement" and whether information exchange substantially restricted market competition.
The sugar collusion case marks the starting point of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC)'s review of collusion in basic food materials and supplies carried out over the past several years. In March 2024, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) launched on-site investigations into the three sugar manufacturers, kicking off a full-fledged probe into price-related collusion.
In April of the same year, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) examined whether meat processors such as Moguchon and Dodram colluded on pork prices, and in Oct. 2025 it conducted on-site investigations into flour mills including Daehan Flour Mills Co. over alleged collusion on flour prices. In January this year, it began investigating alleged collusion in the starch sugar market, including corn syrup and oligosaccharides, targeting CJ CheilJedang, Daesang, Samyang Corporation, and Sajo Group CPK. With the sugar case moving to the full commission, some say the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC)'s review of collusion in basic food materials and supplies is likely to produce its first sanction decision.
CJ CheilJedang, Samyang Corporation, and TS Corporation have previously been sanctioned for colluding on sugar prices and shipment volumes. In 2007, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) uncovered that these companies colluded for 15 years from 1991 to 2005 and imposed a penalty surcharge in the 50 billion won range. CJ CheilJedang filed an administrative lawsuit against the penalty surcharge at the time, but in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC)'s disposition was lawful.