A South Korean court has dismissed Coupang's application to suspend an on-site inspection by the country's antitrust regulator, according to 한겨레. The ruling, issued on Wednesday, clears the way for the Fair Trade Commission to resume its investigation, 머니투데이 reports.
The court stated that the public interest in allowing the probe to proceed is greater than the harm Coupang would suffer from the inspection, 한겨레 reported. The decision means the Fair Trade Commission can continue its on-site investigation, which had been paused pending the court's review.
Following the ruling, the Fair Trade Commission said it would impose fines in connection with the case, according to a report by v.daum.net. The specific amount and grounds for the penalties were not detailed in the available reporting.
The case is one of several antitrust matters currently before the Fair Trade Commission. Separately, commission chair Joo Byung-ki said results are expected soon in an investigation into alleged collusion in the government bond market, according to 연합인포맥스. Joo described the structure of that case as complex and said the review requires careful deliberation.
Coverage of the commission's recent activity has also noted sharp reactions from Joo toward the court amid the Coupang proceedings, as reported by SBS Biz.
With the suspension request denied, attention now turns to how quickly the Fair Trade Commission completes its on-site inspection and what penalties it ultimately issues against Coupang.
