Apple continues to face huge sanctions in South Korea for allegedly putting stumbling blocks in the way of a probe by industry regulator Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in that country way back in 2017.
The sanctions are in relation to a long-running probe into claims Apple abused its dominant position in the apps and device markets.
Apple is being accused of obstructing FTC’s investigation by preventing access to documents and its premises.
FTC started gathering evidence for the probe in 2016, but begun the actual probe problem in 2019.
In a statement, the regulator said it had referred Apple’s Korean unit and one of its executives to prosecutors over claims of obstructing an on-site investigation in November 2017 by deliberately preventing or delaying the entry of officials into the company’s premises.
According o the statement, Apple executive Ryu O-Oh allegedly tried to prevent entry into the site by physical means at the time.
The regulator also imposed a US$264,326 fine over Apple’s refusal to provide information requested in 2016 and 2017 in relation to network disruption, preventing the examination of its practices.
Meanwhile, Apple reportedly agreed to a US$88 million settlement over the competition probe issue with the FTC last month.
