[Photo by Yoo Dae-gil = dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]
The South Korean branch of Japan's Sony Corp. will be fined for unfair business activities by selling cameras and camcorders above fixed prices online to limit free competition among dealers, anti-trust regulators said Tuesday.
The Fair Trade Commission said Sony Korea would be slapped with a fine of 306 million won (275,000 US dollars). Sony's camcorders and mirrorless cameras are top-selling brands in South Korea.
The commission accused Sony of fixing prices to limit competition among online dealers who were forced to sell cameras and camcorders above fixed prices between February 2011 and August 2013.
Dealers have been under surveillance with violators receiving disadvantages, the watchdog said, adding consumers have been given less than 12 percent discounts.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
