U.S. officials back Coupang in dispute with South Korea over data rules

Senior U.S. officials and Republican lawmakers have pledged support for Coupang after the company alleged unfair treatment by South Korean regulators following a data breach last year. The company, which relocated its headquarters to Washington state in 2021, said it has faced excessive fines and investigations that it claims discriminate against U.S. firms.

South Korean officials have stated the investigation was proportionate to the breach, which affected more than 33 million user accounts in a country of about 51 million people.

U.S. response Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have publicly pledged assistance to the company. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is working on options to address the concerns, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Rep. , who chairs the House subcommittee on trade, said an American company selling American products abroad benefits the country and that unfair treatment by another government is a problem.

position Minseong Seo, spokesperson for the South Korean embassy in the U.S., said the investigation was consistent with those applied to Korean companies in comparable cases and that Seoul remains committed to a non-discriminatory business environment.

More than 50 Republican lawmakers signed an April letter supporting Coupang's position. A U.S. official stated the government has ongoing concerns about regulations and enforcement that target or discriminate against U.S. technology companies, including Coupang.

A Coupang spokesperson declined to comment on its connections in Washington.