Fair Trade Chairman (FTC) Candidate Han Ki-jeong, speaks to reporters on his way to work at the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

Han Ki-jeong, a nominee for the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) chairman, pledged to remove all "unnecessary" regulations and establish fair market rules once his nomination is confirmed as the head of the antitrust agency, he said Friday.

"I think that unnecessary regulations should be boldly overhauled for a free market economy so that businesses can run freely," Han said on his way to work at the Korea Fair Trade Mediation Agency in Seoul, Friday. "For a fair market economy, it is necessary to redress corruption through bold and strict measures."

In addition, he added that appropriate measures should be taken so that the economically disadvantaged, such as small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and consumers, do not suffer damage due to a lack of power and information.

"In this regard, the FTC's law enforcement must be trusted by the public," he explained.

When his lack of expertise in fair trade as a financial expert was pointed out, he replied, "I am a legal scholar who has studied corporate activities and market consumer protection for a long time, and can contribute to revitalizing the market economy by participating in a research or government committee."

In addition, Han added that he would hold in-depth discussions with field staff and listen carefully to their voices to make up for any shortcomings.

When asked about the difference in the direction of the previous government, Han said, "The basic philosophy of the current government's economic policy is that growth is led by the private sector and the government supports it."

He repeatedly emphasized that the government should design the system so that efficiency and fairness of the market economy can be guaranteed to support, and those unnecessary regulations should be boldly eliminated through innovation.

"We plan to promote fair trade policies by focusing on this area," he emphasized.

Han graduated from Seoul National University (SNU) Law School and Graduate School, and obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Cambridge.

He has served as the fourth president of the Insurance Research Institute, the director of the Financial Law Center at SNU, the dean of the SNU Law School, and the chairman of the Inspection Committee of the Ministry of Justice.