FTC Staffing Review After Presidential Directive

Sejong, South Korea - The Fair Trade Commission has commenced internal deliberations on workforce expansion after President Lee Jae-myung instructed the agency to examine staffing levels during his first cabinet meeting last week.

The commission currently operates with 647 employees, ranking 19th in staffing among the 27 administrative agencies under the Prime Minister's office. 

This workforce represents 60 percent of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's 1,109 personnel, according to government data.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung confirmed that Lee addressed "the necessity of staffing expansion at the Fair Trade Commission and increasing labor inspectors" while directing officials to assess current operations and propose solutions.

The commission is conducting multiple investigations into platform companies. 

Delivery platforms such as BAEMIN by Delivery Hero and Coupang Eats face scrutiny over alleged unfair business practices, while Google and Coupang are under examination for suspected membership service bundling. 

A restaurant owner who ceased operations cited delivery platform commission rates of 45 percent as a contributing factor to his business closure. 

The individual described business owners as becoming dependent on delivery applications.

The commission's increased activity occurs as Lee's administration implements policies targeting the oversight and regulation of platform companies and large corporations. 

During his presidential campaign, Lee advocated for platform accountability measures and proposed legislation governing the operations of online platforms.

The commission gained prominence during the previous Moon Jae-in administration for its investigations into major corporate groups and market practices, earning characterization as an "economic prosecutor" due to its enforcement authority.