Prosecutors in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Fair Trade Investigation Division, who uncovered price-fixing in flour and sugar and bid-rigging in Korea Electric Power Corporation projects totaling 10 trillion won, received commendations as outstanding prosecutors.
Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice on the 4th presented outstanding prosecutor commendations to six officials in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Fair Trade Investigation Division who strictly cracked down on crimes disrupting the livelihoods of ordinary people: Director General prosecutor Na Hee-seok (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 37), deputy chief prosecutor Moon Jeong-sin (class 40), prosecutor Lee Han-byeol (bar exam 2nd), prosecutor Cho Hyeok (bar exam 3rd), prosecutor Na Hye-yun (class 44), and prosecutor Choi Min-hyeok (class 44).
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Fair Trade Investigation Division, after focusing on collusion cases involving essential goods such as sugar and flour from September last year to January this year, indicted a total of 52 company officials. The estimated size of the collusion in flour, sugar, and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) bids alone amounts to 9.9404 trillion won.
The Minister encouraged the awardees, saying they contributed to restoring fair market competition order by strictly cracking down on unfair transaction offenses related to essential goods such as commodities and energy.
The Minister said, "Following national efforts to establish fair transaction order, including the swift and stern investigation by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Fair Trade Investigation Division, sugar and flour companies began lowering prices," and added, "In the coming process of changes to the criminal justice system, show the capabilities the prosecution has."
After presenting the commendations, the Minister listened to on-the-ground input needed to strengthen the response to fair trade offenses through a meeting with the awardees, including: ▲ raising statutory penalties for collusion cases ▲ expanding staffing for dedicated units ▲ building an information-sharing system between the prosecution and the Korea Fair Trade Commission, which receive voluntary reports related to collusion.
The Ministry of Justice said it will continue to actively respond to collusion crimes that disrupt market order and the livelihoods of ordinary people and will pursue institutional improvements to help achieve results in restoring the real economy and stabilizing prices.