ABOUT KFTC

Ministerial-level central administrative organization under the authority of the Prime Minister functions as a quasi-judiciary body.

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History

Since 1981

  • 1980 ’s
    • 1980

      Enactment & Promulgation of Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act(MRFTA).

    • 1981

      Establishment of the KFTC within Economic Planning Board(EPB), and launched Fair Trade Office as a working body.

    • 1984

      Subcontracting-related regulations were separated from the MRFTA, and enacted as the Fair Subcontract Transactions Act.

  • 1990 ’s
    • 1990

      Fair Trade Office was expanded and renamed as Secretariat of Fair Trade Commission. Regional offices were built in Busan, Gwangju, and Daejeon(Daegu in 1992, and Seoul in 2006)

    • 1993

      Authority over Adhesion Contract Act was transferred from Price Policy Bureau of Economic Planning Board to Fair Trade Commission, which began its enforcement.

    • 1994

      Became an independent vice ministerial-level, central administrative organization separated from the EPB.

    • 1996

      Elevation of the status of the Chairperson to ministerial level

    • 1999

      Fair Labeling and Advertising Act was enacted. Omnibus Cartel Repeal Act was enacted for abolition of fee cartels in 9 certified professions, i.e. lawyer, accountant, tax accountant, and 6 other professions, and for other regulatory reforms. Authority over Act on Door-to-Door Sales, etc. and Installment Transactions Act was transferred from Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy to KFTC, which formed an institutional basis for consumer rights protection in special types of transactions.

  • 2000 ’s
    • 2002

      Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, etc. was enacted as an institutional basis for protecting consumer interests in the rapidly expanding field of electronic commerce.

    • 2002

      The Fair Franchise Transactions Act was enacted

    • 2007

      Became a sole competent authority of consumer issues as the KFTC took over the jurisdiction of the Framework Act on Consumers from the Ministry of Finance and Economy and brought the Korea Consumer Agency as an organization within the KFTC.

  • 2010 ’s
    • 2011

      The Fair Transactions in Large Franchise and Retail Business Act was enacted.

    • 2015

      The Fair Transactions in Agency Business Act was enacted.