W.L. Gore & Associates has been imposed a fine of 3.67 billion South Korean Won (€2.7m-$3.2m) by the Korea Fair Trade Commission for engaging in unfair trade practices in the country, in violation of Article 23 of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. According to the trade regulator, between March 2009 and December 2012, Gore put pressure on its customers – 29 outdoor wear companies – to withhold supplying products made with Gore-Tex fabrics to mass market retailers. Local media reported that Gore controlled compliance with this policy by sending undercover shoppers to major retailers in order to verify if any of the 29 brands were still supplying products to them. When Gore found violations to its policy, it ordered a recall of the stock and, in some cases, unilaterally terminated supplies of Gore-Tex fabrics to the noncomplying customers. The Korea Fair Trade Commission considered that this restriction on distribution channels undermined price competition. In its defence, Gore argued that its strategy was supposed to ensure the status of Gore-Tex fabrics as a high-quality product, but the Korean trade regulator rejected this argument, showing that prices of Gore-Tex fabrics had risen excessively during the period under consideration.

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