Dozens of Former Korean Antitrust Officials Joined Top Law Firms, Data Shows
Newly disclosed data shows 86 former Korea Fair Trade Commission officials moved to the country’s 10 largest law firms over the past decade, prompting renewed scrutiny of post-public-service conflicts of interest.
Eighty-six former Korea Fair Trade Commission officials joined South Korea’s 10 largest law firms over roughly the past decade, according to data disclosed by a lawmaker, renewing questions about conflicts of interest between the antitrust regulator and firms that frequently challenge its decisions.
The figures, obtained from the National Health Insurance Service by Social Democratic Party lawmaker Han Chang-min, cover moves made between January 2016 and August 2026. Han serves on the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, which oversees the commission.
Kim & Chang hired the largest number of former commission employees, taking on 21. Bae, Kim & Lee hired 13, Yulchon 11 and Hwawoo 10. Lee & Ko and Shin & Kim each hired eight, while Jipyong and Daeryuk Aju each hired five. Barun hired four and YK one. Three firms — Kim & Chang, Bae, Kim & Lee and Hwawoo — accounted for 44 of the 86 hires.
The records also indicated substantial increases in monthly compensation after the officials entered private practice. The 21 people who moved to Kim & Chang saw their average monthly pay rise from 8.25 million won to 30.59 million won, or about 3.7 times their previous level. Former officials hired by Hwawoo recorded an increase from 6.73 million won to 21.54 million won, while those joining Bae, Kim & Lee went from 6.21 million won to 18.23 million won.
Those amounts are based on health insurance records used to calculate premiums, meaning they may not capture every component of an individual’s income. Across the 10 firms, however, the data showed post-move monthly pay ranging from 1.7 to 3.7 times the officials’ previous compensation.
The disclosure also highlighted how frequently the same firms represented parties in cartel litigation against the antitrust watchdog. Of 263 cartel-related lawsuits filed against the commission from January 2021 through July 10, 2026, the top 10 firms handled 191 distinct cases, or 72.6 percent. Five cases involved overlapping representation by more than one firm.
South Korea’s Public Service Ethics Act restricts certain post-retirement employment when an official’s recent government duties are closely connected to a prospective employer. Former officials are also prohibited from working on matters they handled directly while in office or improperly approaching serving officials.
Han said former regulators could bring case experience, institutional knowledge and personal networks to firms advising corporate clients. He said the National Assembly’s audit would examine how employment screening and work restrictions are enforced, as well as how the commission manages cartel litigation.