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U.S. House Report Accuses South Korea of Discriminating Against American Firms, Targeting Coupang

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A U.S. House of Representatives report accuses the South Korean government of discriminating against American companies, particularly targeting Coupang.
  • The report claims South Korea used regulatory power for intensive, cross-departmental investigations against Coupang, a U.S.-based e-commerce giant.
  • Coupang expressed regret over the dispute, noting its market value has fallen over 40%, while South Korea's embassy in Washington disputes the report's findings, calling them one-sided.

A recent investigative report by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee alleges that the South Korean government has unfairly targeted American businesses, with a particular focus on the e-commerce platform Coupang. The report, released Wednesday, claims South Korea has leveraged its regulatory authority to conduct extensive, multi-agency investigations against the U.S.-based company, often referred to as the "Amazon of Asia."

The investigation, initiated in February, examined long-standing regulatory disputes faced by Coupang and other American firms in the South Korean market. The report suggests that South Korea has employed various tactics, including numerous investigations, demands for documents, hefty fines, and legal threats, to pressure Coupang. These actions reportedly intensified after a data breach incident at the company in 2025.

According to the U.S. report, the data breach, attributed to a former employee, affected a smaller number of users than initially estimated by South Korean authorities. While Coupang notified regulators about the breach and its limited scope, the report claims South Korea proceeded with investigations and enforcement actions, including dozens of probes and demands for thousands of documents.

Industry sources cited in the report suggest a pattern of protectionism towards foreign companies in South Korea, describing the enforcement against Coupang as an unprecedented, comprehensive government action. Coupang has expressed regret over the situation, hoping for a resolution that preserves U.S.-South Korea economic ties. The company noted that its market capitalization has dropped by more than 40% amid these controversies.

South Korea's embassy in Washington has responded to the report, stating that it relies heavily on Coupang's one-sided account and disagrees with certain aspects. The embassy has questioned the report's conclusions. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions regarding market access and regulatory practices between the two nations.

The report is mainly based on Coupang's one-sided claims, and we disagree with some of its content.

— South Korean Embassy in WashingtonResponding to the U.S. House report accusing South Korea of discriminating against American companies.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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