[설탕 카르텔]④ 정태원 변호사 "피해업체 손배소, 담합 유혹 줄인다"

This civil damages lawsuit against sugar cartel participants reveals a critical enforcement gap: while criminal penalties and fines punish offenders, only civil litigation recovers the actual losses incurred by victim businesses. With SMEs unable to fully pass price increases to consumers, the combined threat of civil damages and punitive liability creates a stronger deterrent against future cartels than criminal prosecution alone.