The Korea Fair Trade Commission said on the 14th it imposed a penalty surcharge of 594 million won on the Korea Poultry Association for leading price collusion. The Korea Fair Trade Commission judged that the association restricted market competition by determining the prices at which eggs were sold from production areas to distributors and notifying employees belonging to the association.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) found that the Korea Poultry Association violated Article 51(1)1 of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act by restricting price competition among member businesses that hold about 56.4% of the total market share. The law prohibits business associations from restricting market competition among their members through acts such as price collusion.
From 2023 to 2025, the Korea Poultry Association set and notified sales prices to its member businesses. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said that during the period, actual transaction prices for eggs formed at levels very similar to the prices set by the association. A Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) official said, "The reference price set by the association was decided without any particular basis."
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) explained that the association's price collusion led to higher consumer prices for eggs. Even though production costs for raw eggs, including feed, remained stable from 2023 to 2025, the association raised sales prices by 9.4%, widening the gap between sales and production prices from 781 won in 2023 to 1,440 won in 2025.