South Korea's National Assembly regrets 'discriminatory' U.S. report on Coupang hearing

South Korea's National Assembly has voiced regret over a U.S. House Judiciary Committee report that characterized a parliamentary hearing concerning Coupang's data breach and unfair trade practices as "openly hostile and discriminatory." The Assembly stated the U.S. report failed to adequately consider its constitutional powers and meeting procedures, relying instead on a partial understanding of the facts.

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Our National Assembly's constitutional authority and meeting procedures were not sufficiently reflected, and the evaluation was made based on some facts.

In response to the U.S. report's findings, the National Assembly clarified that the joint hearing format, involving multiple committees, was a standard parliamentary practice for examining complex issues, not an exceptional measure targeting a specific company. The Assembly argued that the U.S. report's assessment was based on isolated remarks and specific moments during the hearing, neglecting the broader context of extensive questioning, public concern, and the legislature's role in overseeing state affairs.

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This was not an exceptional procedure targeting a specific company, but a general operating method of the National Assembly for examining complex issues.

The Assembly also defended its procedural practices, including oaths, warnings about legal consequences for false testimony, and time adjustments for answers, stating these are uniformly applied to all witnesses under the "Act on Testimony and Adjudication at the National Assembly." It refuted the interpretation that these were discriminatory actions against Coupang or its witnesses, asserting that such claims are factually incorrect. The Assembly also noted that the U.S. report did not fully reflect facts related to the National Intelligence Service, which had previously stated it issued no directives to Coupang regarding the investigation and only engaged in information sharing and damage control efforts as per its legal mandate.

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Interpreting these as discriminatory measures against a specific company or witness is different from the facts.

South Korea's National Assembly emphasized its commitment to fulfilling its constitutional and legal duties to protect personal information and public interest. It also pledged to continuously work towards fostering international understanding of its institutional frameworks and parliamentary operations based on objective facts and sufficient communication. The Assembly values the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and inter-parliamentary cooperation, believing it can further develop through mutual trust and a thorough grasp of factual circumstances.

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We will continue to strive to ensure that the international community's understanding of our National Assembly's systems and parliamentary operations is based on objective facts and sufficient communication.