South Korea’s Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency (KOFair) has released the Autumn–Winter 2025 edition of its biannual journal Fair Companion, offering a wide-ranging examination of current competition law and policy challenges, from national security concerns to dispute resolution and cooperative business practices.
The agency said the eighth issue of Fair Companion brings together expert analysis, case studies and policy commentary aimed at practitioners, regulators and stakeholders in the competition law ecosystem.
According to KOFair, rapid changes in business behaviour, the expansion of the digital economy, algorithmic dominance and the growing use of artificial intelligence have significantly reshaped market dynamics and competition oversight. The publication is intended to provide timely insights into these shifts while promoting fair trade practices and the prevention of harm to small and medium-sized businesses.
The latest issue features contributions from leading academics and industry figures, covering topics such as the impact of national security considerations on competition rules, key issues surrounding consumer redress funds, competition policy implications of merger review fees, and a case study on cooperative management practices between Maeil Dairies and its distributors.
KOFair said the journal also continues its focus on practical dispute resolution, highlighting mediation cases designed to help prevent damage to small businesses and improve compliance with fair trade laws. Alongside policy analysis, the publication includes updates on the agency’s activities and cultural content aimed at broadening engagement with competition issues.
Fair Companion is distributed primarily to competition-related institutions and professionals, and an electronic version of the journal is available for download through the agency’s website.
The agency added that the new issue reflects its broader mandate to promote fair competition, strengthen dispute mediation mechanisms and foster a more balanced and sustainable market environment in South Korea amid accelerating economic and technological change.
