Fair Trade Commission Keeps a Close Eye on ETS

Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman, Kwon Oh-seung, stated on Wednesday, “The FTC is keeping a close eye on the U.S.-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), the administrator of TOEFL and TOEIC, to find out if any of its Korean operations breach the nation’s anti-trust laws.”

In his remarks to reporters regarding the latest chaos surrounding TOEFL applications among South Koreans, Kwon said, “At the moment, the commission is reviewing the possibility of technical troubles. However, if any sources suggest the possibility of the firm’s anti-trust law violation, the FTC will launch an investigation accordingly.”

Kwon went on to say that it is too early to draw any conclusions since the FTC is still looking into the matter and is yet to decide whether the firm abused its dominant status in the market or it just engaged in anti-trust activities. An official investigation has yet to come.

The chairman also expressed his concerns over the nation’s TOEFL and TOEIC fever, saying, “These exams were originally designed to test the English skills of students wishing to study abroad. Using the tests to measure English proficiency of applicants for local Korean companies and schools seems inappropriate.”

Meanwhile, Kwon added that the FTC is now wrapping up the latest probe on the price-fixing of kindergartens, of which the findings are soon to be released.

sanjuck@donga.com