(Photo= Yonhap news)

 

[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Sangjin] According to industry sources on the 29th, KT is considering whether to appeal a court ruling that it must compensate approximately 12 billion won in damages in a bid-rigging case involving a national project, as indicated in the recent quarterly report.

KT, along with LG Uplus and SK Broadband, faced accusations of inducing the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) to refrain from participating in a project bid, for which KT allegedly paid 36 billion won. In return, KT secured a contract worth 120 billion won independently. The company deemed this advantageous as the contract size outweighed the payment made for the bid withdrawal.

KT, LG Uplus, SK Broadband, and Sejong Telecom are accused of colluding in the process of participating in public-sector exclusive line projects issued by nine agencies from 2015 to 2017. Among the 12 bid-rigging cases, KT alone secured contracts for eight. The Fair Trade Commission imposed a fine of 570 million won on KT, considering it the most severe violator, and also filed a criminal complaint. LG Uplus was fined 389.5 million won, SK Broadband 327.2 million won, and Sejong Telecom 41.7 million won.

Since 2020, various demand agencies including KISTI and the Small and Medium Business Administration have filed lawsuits against telecommunication companies seeking compensation for damages incurred due to bid-rigging. These lawsuits aim to recover the unjust gains obtained by the telecom companies through collusion, which ultimately affected public funds. The recent court ruling involving KISTI marks the first lawsuit outcome in this regard.

As of last month, KT reported a total of nine lawsuits related to the matter, with a claimed amount of 725 million won. KT mentioned that the claimed amount might expand depending on the progress of the lawsuits and assessments.

 

 

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