For years, the targeted industries have argued that Korean "network usage fees," mandatory billing rules, app-store regulations, digital-platform laws, and privacy rulings were crafted to disadvantage foreign competitors while protecting national champions.

The longstanding U.S. - Korea alliance has operated within a familiar structure: Washington provided unconditional military protection, while Seoul pursued autonomous industrial and regulatory policies - occasionally at the expense of U.S. firms. The KFTC in particular developed a reputation among American technology, pharmaceutical, and automotive companies as an aggressive, often unpredictable enforcer whose investigations and fines disproportionately targeted foreign market leaders. In sectors ranging from app stores to semiconductors, U.S. firms routinely complained of a regulatory process that lacked transparency, due-process standards, and basic recognition of attorney-client privilege.

In 2021, they fined Google $177 over alleged anti-competitive practices in Android licensing. In 2023,  Apple faced a $22 million fine for keeping developers in the Apple payment ecosystem. In 2024, the KFTC launched probes into Amazon and Google over alleged preferential treatment in online advertising and search results, which they said could disadvantage Korean firms. 

They've also targeted Qualcomm, Coupang, Meta, Tesla and other US firms, leaving many wondering whether Korea's antitrust apparatus was deploying economic nationalism under the guise of competition enforcement. Investigations were often launched under political pressure, imposed fines were regularly among the highest in the world, and procedural protections were thin compared to OECD norms.

Not Anymore...

During President Donald Trump's October visit to the Republic of Korea, things were quickly straightened out. In a Nov. 13 press release, the White House writes:

"The United States and the ROK commit to ensure that U.S. companies are not discriminated against and do not face unnecessary barriers in laws and policies concerning digital services, including network usage fees and online platform regulations."

So - Korea will need to keep their attack dog on a leash. To that end: 

"The ROK commits to provide additional procedural fairness provisions in competition proceedings, including the recognition of attorney-client privilege."