공정거래법상의 경쟁규제와 헌법상의 경제질서

Abstract

Recently, the Government preannounced the complete revised bill of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. The bill includes, concretely, raising of the upper limit of penalty surcharges, restriction of the exclusive complaint system by the Fair Trade Commission, introduction of the right to request prohibition by private individuals against unfair trade practices, supplement of prevention policy measures of excessive concentration of economic power, advancement of corporate governance, etc. It, especially, plans to reform the wrong governance system of conglomerates, to guarantee fair competion opportunity of small and medium-sized businesses, and to improve the venture holding company system and report system of business combination for realization of fair economy. In short, the purpose of the reformation is to prevent any abuse of market-dominating positions by enterprisers and any excessive concentration of economic power, to protect the positon of small and medium-sized businesses, to promote fair and free competition, and to strive hereby for balanced development of the national economy. The diverse regulations of the Act including the reformation and other relating statutes can be justified by the economic order of the Constitution, namely so called the social market economy order, and economic the povisions of the chapter 9 of the Constitution. On the other hand, they, however, should obey a number of principles of the Constitution which function as a limitation and restriction of legislation to regulate the freedom of competition and economic activity, because the regulation restricts the free market system and the relating constitutional rights, for example the right of property, the freedom of occupation, the right of consumers, etc. They comprise the principle of proportionality, the principle of equality, the principle of trust protection, ban on inclusive delegated legislation, etc. In the process of the revision of the Act, therefore, these principles should be complied.