[Opinion] Korean Fair Trade Commission Cautious about Speaking and Stepping

The officials of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) are in alert these days. No alcohol during daytime was ordered to prevent an accompanied drink at a lunch. And the punctuality of lunch hour was also ordered. The punctuality of lunch hour was ordered to all government officials by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and it is highly emphasized in the Fair Trade Commission.

The highly-charged atmosphere was created by the special order of FTC`s chairperson Lee Nam-Gi. ``By the chairperson`s special order, all officials are in alert. Once you drink during office hour, you make yourself an example of others,`` a director of FTC said. He also said he recently had to cancel his lunch appointment.

He said he had to stay at his office to answer the frequent phone calls of reporters. FTC is not the only institution that is under the joint investigation of GAHA and the Board of Audit and Inspection. FTC responds hyper-sensitively to the joint inspection which has been carried out for all departments in Kwachun and Central administration complex.

A high official remarked that the special order was to call an attention of the FTC`s officials before releasing the investigation report, that is the internal transactions of the press, which is scheduled for next month. FTC has already tried to hunt down the person who had leaked the internal information. A high official ordered to find out who had released the distorted information to the press. FTC argued that the investigation of the press was unilaterally agreed to carry out but had not been disputed as reported. FTC failed to find out the leaker.

It has been three month since FTC has concentrated on the investigation of the press, ignoring its regular business of the investigation on the industries. Many officials of FTC seem to worry about the future of FTC rather than feeling proud of the investigation of the sacred precinct, or the press.

Choi Young-Hae moneychoi@donga.com