Seoul: The chairperson of South Korea's fair trade watchdog plans to visit the United States next week to take part in an antitrust policy conference, the agency said Thursday. Ju Byung-ghi, chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), is set to depart for the United States on Tuesday to attend the event organized by the Fordham Competition Law Institute at Fordham University.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the FTC is actively seeking to arrange meetings between Ju Byung-ghi and his U.S. counterpart, along with senior officials at the Department of Justice. An official from the FTC mentioned that they have requested bilateral talks not only with their U.S. counterpart but also with counterparts from other major countries.
Pundits suggest that the agenda for potential discussions with U.S. officials could include Seoul's recent investigation into the South Korean arm of U.S.-listed Coupang Inc. over alleged fair trade violations. In early July, a U.S. House committee released a report accusing South Korea of "discriminatory attacks" on e-commerce giant Coupang and other American companies, arguing that the country's treatment of these companies violates the bilateral trade agreement established last year.