The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has announced that it levied KRW15.37bn (US$14.64m) of fines on 26 cement manufacturers for cartelisation activities, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

The KFTC stated that the manufacturers had colluded to set the prices of ready-mix concrete provided to smaller construction firms between 2009-16. As a result, the prices of the construction material have been on the rise, according to the watchdog.

The KFTC has referred the 26 companies to state prosecutors for further investigation.