Abbott Korea Co. and Medtronic Korea Co. were found to have unfairly supported doctors to participate in overseas seminars to encourage the use of their cardiovascular stents.

As a result, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) decided to impose a 16 million won fine on Abbott Korea.

Both companies have kept a record of sales for each doctor and encouraged the use of their company's stent by providing unfair support to the doctors as an expense for overseas conferences.

More specifically, sales representatives of both companies used this support for overseas academic conferences as a sales promotion strategy to increase the use of its products for doctors that show