South Korean ruling party expresses regret over U.S. House report on Coupang

The ruling Democratic Party on Saturday expressed strong regret over a U.S. House Judiciary Committee interim staff report that alleged South Korea discriminates against Coupang and other American companies. The report claimed Coupang has been a consistent target of coercive investigations, overly burdensome regulatory requirements, and excessive fines.

A party spokesperson stated the document relied on one-sided claims by the company and unverified data.

Government and party response The spokesperson said the Seoul government does not discriminate against or unfairly pressure companies based on nationality. The party urged Coupang to stop shifting responsibility to the government to cover up its own wrongdoing.

The National Assembly, the presidential office, and the foreign ministry each issued statements expressing regret over the report. They stressed that investigations and regulatory measures concerning the data leak have been conducted in a fair manner.

Data breach context Coupang has faced public criticism and investigations over a data leak believed to have affected more than 33 million users. The party spokesperson said the company should not remain silent on the breach while portraying itself as a victim.

Lobbying Disclosure Act reports showed the company spent more than US$1 million on lobbying activities in the U.S. since the scandal erupted in November.