This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz RM Report site at 10:38 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2026.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) recently conducted on-site inspections to see whether the four refiners—SK Energy, HD Hyundai Oilbank, GS Caltex and S-Oil—banned gas stations from selling rival products, industry sources said on the 13th. Earlier in March, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) investigated the four refiners on suspicion of colluding on petroleum product prices. It then launched a new probe into whether there were additional law violations.
According to the industry on the 13th, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC), while resuming on-site inspections of the four refiners, looked into whether they forced gas stations bearing their company signage to sell only their own products. Such conduct violates Article 45, Paragraph 1, Item 7 of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. The provision prohibits "transactions that impose conditions that unjustly restrict the business activities of a trading partner (exclusive dealing under coercive conditions)." A violation allows the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) to issue corrective orders and impose a penalty surcharge of up to 4% of related sales.
In 2008, after the abolition of the trademark display system (pole sign), the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) conducted on-site inspections of the four refiners on similar suspicions and issued corrective orders. The pole sign system was a scheme under which gas stations displayed the signage (pole sign) of a specific refiner and sold only that company's products. The government abolished it in 2008 to break up refiners' monopolies and expand consumer choice. However, as criticism mounted that refiners were effectively forcing sales of their own products based on high market shares, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) launched on-site inspections.
According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) investigation at the time, refiners signed contracts with registered gas stations requiring them to procure all petroleum products from the refiners, and stipulating sanctions such as contract termination or damages for violations.