[Edaily Reporter Kim Se-yeon ] Some companies in the paper industry that had been hit with hefty fines for price-fixing on printing paper have had their fines reduced. Small and medium-sized printing companies that purchase printing paper from the paper industry strongly protested, arguing that this measure effectively grants a free pass for price-fixing.

The Federation of Korean Printing Cooperatives (the Federation) and other small and medium-sized printing companies issued a statement on the 20th, saying, “We express deep concern and strong regret over the Fair Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision last month—on June 6—to exempt or reduce massive fines imposed on large corporations involved in price-fixing for the manufacture and sale of printing paper.”
Last April, the FTC imposed a total of 338.3 billion won in fines on six paper manufacturers— MOORIM SP CO., LTD.(001810), MOORIM PAPER(009200), #Moorim P&P, Hankuk Paper MFG.(027970), Hansol Paper Co., Ltd.(213500), and Hongwon Paper—for colluding to raise the selling prices of printing paper. The FTC determined that these companies had jointly set printing paper prices, thereby restricting market competition.
Since then, the amount of the fines has changed. Last June, Hansol Paper Co., Ltd. was granted a full exemption from its fine, while MOORIM PAPER and Moorim P&P had their fines reduced by half. The industry views this as a result of the Fair Trade Commission’s leniency program for voluntary self-reporting. Hankuk Paper MFG.’s original fine remained unchanged, and no separate changes were announced for Hongwon Paper and Moorim SP CO., LTD.
In a statement, the Federation pointed out, “This decision effectively grants a free pass to the repeated price-fixing practices in the printing paper industry,” adding, “In particular, if the leniency program is abused as a means to reduce the liability of companies that habitually engage in price-fixing, the original purpose of the program—to deter price-fixing—will be undermined, and fair market order could be weakened.”
It continued, “The six printing paper manufacturers raised their sales prices by an average of 71% during the collusion period (February 2021 to December 2024),” noting that “many small and medium-sized printing companies are facing operational difficulties—including deteriorating profitability, job insecurity, and a decline in equipment investment—because they cannot pass on the increased costs to their customers. “The burden resulting from the price-fixing is being passed on not only to the printing and publishing industries but also to the public, the ultimate consumers,” the commission emphasized.
The printing industry maintains that the reduced financial burden resulting from the fine reduction should be utilized to restore the printing industry’s ecosystem. It also urged major printing paper manufacturers to participate in social dialogue aimed at establishing transparent trading practices and fostering mutually beneficial cooperation. It requested that the government and the National Assembly: △disclose the legal basis, reduction criteria, and deliberation process for the fine reduction decision; △develop practical measures to compensate small printing companies for damages and strengthen their competitiveness; and △conduct a comprehensive review of the system’s effectiveness, including restrictions on the application of leniency programs.
Previously, when the Fair Trade Commission announced sanctions for the price-fixing cartel last April, the printing industry had already demanded responsible action, arguing that the paper industry’s collusion was undermining the very foundation of the printing industry’s survival. The impact was particularly severe because the six companies involved in the cartel held approximately 95% of the domestic printing paper market (approximately 81% when including imports) as of 2023.
Park Jang-seon, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Printing Cooperatives, stated, “We will continue to pursue all legal and institutional measures until a fair market order is restored and the damages caused by the price-fixing are substantively remedied.”