President orders FTC to drastically increase workforce

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday ordered the antitrust watchdog to “drastically increase” its workforce so that the authority can better regulate market-disturbing companies with stricter fines and penalties. In a policy briefing by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), Lee urged the watchdog to increase its workforce by around 500 people and impose harsher fines on firms that engage in any unfair internal transactions or other undue business practices. The FTC had previously decided to increase its workforce by 167 positions in 2026. “The basic task of the FTC is to block the economically weak from suffering any unfair damage,” Lee said during the briefing. He also conveyed his stern regulatory stance against large firms that prevent their subcontractors from securing supply deals with other companies. “The watchdog should protect the weak, and never provide any unfair favor to the strong,” Lee said. He went on to step up rhetoric critical of large firms, saying that “imposing huge fines with a large workforce” will be very effective in cutting any unfair lobbying acts from c