South Korea-US antitrust cooperation signals deeper cross-border enforcement
By Wooyoung Lee ( May 29, 2025, 08:24 GMT | Comment) -- A recent investigation by the Korea Prosecution Service into bid rigging at US military bases in South Korea marks a turning point in transnational cartel enforcement. Triggered by intelligence shared by the DOJ’s antitrust division in 2024, the probe led to the indictment of dozens of South Korean subcontractors and US agents involved in a four-year scheme to rig bids for subcontracting work at the military facilities. In an interview with MLex, the head of the KPS' antitrust investigation department said US-Korea cooperation enabled the sweeping crackdown and explained why more cases tied to US military-related businesses are likely to follow. He also signaled plans to expand enforcement beyond the South Korean border.
Cross-border investigations into criminal cartels have often been bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles. When antitrust prosecutors at the US Department of Justice, or DOJ, try to share information with their South Korean counterparts, the information must first wind its way through multiple layers of international coordination — from internal divisions to foreign ministries — before reaching South Korean prosecutors. This cumbersome process has long hindered timely cooperation and effective enforcement....
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