By Kim Tae-jong
The nation’s anti-trust regulator imposed a fine of 85 million won on LG Electronics, Korea’s second-largest consumer electronics maker, Tuesday, for blocking and on-site inspection.
According to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), employees from the appliance manufacturer attempted to hide and destroy critical evidence when FTC investigators were trying to collect data to determine if the company was engaged in unfair business practices.
The on-site inspection came amid allegations that it had supplied products to its affiliated retailer, Hi Plaza, at much lower prices than to other non-affiliated stores.
The FTC said employees at the marketing division located in Junggu, downtown Seoul, hid external storage devices in an executive member’ office and locked the room right before FTC investigators started to conduct a search.
When they were asked to unlock the door, they attempted to secretly move the devices to other rooms. One of managers was also found destroying critical data in a storage device by using a deleting program, despite repeated warnings.
The FTC imposed a 50 million won fine on LG Electronics and fined two employees 15 million won each. Another employee who hid external storage devices was also fined 5 million won.
According to related laws, corporations attempting to hinder, refuse or dodge investigations launched by the FTC can be fined up to 200 million won, while employees or executives are subject to a fine of up to 50 million won.
The FTC said it will take a stern measure against any illegal activities that attempt to disrupt its inspections. It also said it will soon announce the investigation result on the issue of the company’s alleged unfair trade practices.
“We will take every countermeasure to root out illegal attempts to tamper with our investigation,” an FTC official said.
According to the FTC, there have been incidents where employees systematically obstructed their on-site probe.
Technology giant Samsung Electronics was fined 400 million won, the biggest fine ever levied by the watchdog, last March for attempting to block an investigation into price-fixing allegations.
Shortly before that, the watchdog fined CJ Cheil Jedang, Korea’s top food company 340 million won on similar charges.
Most recently, the FTC imposed a fine of 290 million won on SK C&C employees and executive members who attempted to obstruct their on-site investigation into alleged unfair inter-subsidiary dealings.
Meanwhile, LG Group’s key affiliate, LG Display, is in hot water as its rival Samsung Display has vowed to continue its legal fight with it after the prosecution charged 11 former senior and low-ranking technicians over involvement in the leak of cutting-edge OLED technology to LG.
According to prosecutors, information on the technology was sent via e-mails on seven separate occasions by a 45-year-old former Samsung Display technician seeking to join LG Display. Samsung now argues LG management organized the “crime” to win the competition with its rival.

공정위 조사방해 LG전자 과태료
공정거래위원회는 현장조사를 방해한 LG전자 법인과 소속 직원들에게 8500만원의 과태료를 부과했다고 17일 밝혔다.
공정위에 따르면 LG전자 한국마케팅본부 소속 직원들은 지난해 3월 공정위 조사관들이 현장조사에 나서자 부서 내 외부저장장치 8개를 임원 사무실에 숨기고 파일을 삭제한 혐의다.
당시 공정위는 LG전자가 계열 유통회사인 하이프라자에 전자제품을 지방 대리점보다 부당하게 싼 가격으로 공급한다는 신고를 받고 사실 여부를 확인하기 위해 현장조사를 실시했다.
공정위는 LG전자 법인에 과태료 5000만원을, 외부저장장치를 숨기고 파일을 삭제한 부장급 직원 2명에게 각각 1500만원의 과태료를 부과했다.
또 외부저장장치를 숨긴 다른 과장급 직원에게는 500만원의 과태료 처분을 내렸다.