Police are launching a major special crackdown on crimes that disrupt consumer prices amid continued burden from rising food prices and other cost-of-living pressures. The investigation targets not only hoarding and ticket scalping but also fraudulent use of tariff quotas, housing price collusion, and illegal receipt of government subsidies.
The National Office of Investigation at the Korean National Police Agency announced on the 2nd that it will conduct an eight-month special crackdown on "consumer price disruption crimes" from the 3rd of this month through October 31. As the prolonged high inflation continues to increase the burden on ordinary citizens, the agency aims to concentrate its investigative resources on government-wide price stabilization measures.
The crackdown covers nine areas: acts undermining price stability such as hoarding and violations of emergency supply-demand adjustment measures; improper third-party intervention in policy funds; ticket scalping; illegal rebates in medical and pharmaceutical sectors; fraudulent use of tariff quotas; housing price collusion; illegal receipt of government subsidies; various unfair trade practices; and violations of private academy laws and door-to-door sales laws, as well as illegal collection of excess management fees.
Notably, hoarding—stockpiling daily necessities, agricultural products, livestock, and seafood for excessive profit while delaying sales or artificially raising prices—is a key enforcement target. Violations of government emergency measures for supply expansion or import-export adjustments are also subject to crackdown.
False or exaggerated advertising that may deceive or mislead consumers is also included. Examples include exaggerating the efficacy of certain foods or household products to justify price increases, or falsely labeling origin or ingredients to sell at inflated prices.
Police plan to establish a "Consumer Price Disruption Crime Eradication Task Force" headed by the Investigation Bureau chief and will swiftly launch investigations centered on provincial police investigation departments and intelligence teams at local police stations. The agency will secure enforcement information through internally developed intelligence and collaboration with related ministries, and will track and recover criminal proceeds to the fullest extent.
Park Sung-joo, Commissioner of the National Office of Investigation, stated, "We will concentrate all police investigative capabilities on eradicating consumer price disruption crimes and contribute to price stability through strong enforcement," urging active reporting and tips from the public.
Meanwhile, police raised the maximum reward for reporting crimes affecting public livelihood to 500 million won in July last year.