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South Korea’s KFTC Records Highest-Ever Court Win Rate Amid Intensified Antitrust Enforcement

By  |  May 25, 2026
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South Korea’s antitrust regulator posted its highest-ever court win rate last year, a development that could strengthen the agency’s push for tougher enforcement as it continues pursuing major cartel investigations involving hundreds of billions of won in fines.

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    According to a statement from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on Tuesday, courts issued rulings in 136 administrative lawsuits connected to the agency’s enforcement actions in 2025. The KFTC secured full victories in 122 cases, resulting in a complete win rate of 89.7%, up from 82.4% the year before.

    Per a statement from the agency, the result marks the highest annual success rate since the KFTC began compiling related statistics in 2001.

    Including six partial victories, the KFTC’s overall success rate rose to 94.1%, its highest level since 2013, when it reached 94.4%.

    The regulator said the strong performance was partly driven by a large number of cartel-related cases. Such investigations often involve clearer evidentiary structures, including materials obtained through leniency applications filed by participating companies, which can strengthen the agency’s position in court.

    “The high win rate was partly possible because there were many cartel cases last year,” a KFTC official said. “It will not be easy to break this record for the time being.”

    The latest figures come as the KFTC continues to pursue aggressive antitrust enforcement, including substantial fines recently imposed on sugar and flour cartels.

    Corporate appeals against KFTC decisions also remained relatively low last year. According to a statement from the regulator, companies filed administrative lawsuits in only 49 out of 355 KFTC rulings, resulting in a litigation rate of 13.8%.

    Read more: South Korea Regulator’s Move on Coupang Founder Triggers Planned Lawsuit

    That compares with higher levels in previous years, including 28.3% in 2022, 19.1% in 2023, and 24.4% in 2024.

    The KFTC has also shortened the time needed to process cases. KFTC Chairman Joo Byung-ki previously said the average processing period for cartel cases last year was 281 days, more than 50% shorter than three years earlier.

    Experts said the courts’ continued support for KFTC decisions suggests the agency has improved its investigative and legal capabilities, even as cases become increasingly complex in areas such as online platforms, retail, and subcontracting.

    “KFTC cases tend to involve large matters with fines in the hundreds of billions of won, and legal disputes are intense,” said Lee Hwang, a professor at Korea University School of Law. “The recent high win rate suggests that the completeness of evidence gathering and economic analysis at the investigation stage has improved compared to the past.”

    Still, Lee said the agency will need to further refine how it calculates penalties as it seeks stronger sanctions against cartel activity.

    “In cartel fines, there are relatively many cases where there are disagreements between the courts and the KFTC over imposition rates,” he said. “Since courts often closely examine the appropriateness of the level of sanctions rather than the illegality itself, in order to protect respondents, the sophistication of fine calculation will become an important task for the KFTC, alongside strengthening its investigative capabilities.”

    Source: Se Daily