Overview
- Fifty-four Republican lawmakers, in a letter sent Monday to South Korea’s ambassador, accused Seoul of targeting U.S. firms such as Apple, Google, Meta and Coupang through discriminatory raids, fines and threats to licenses.
- South Korea’s Foreign Ministry responded Thursday that it is honoring a pledge not to disadvantage U.S. digital companies and said the Coupang probe is proceeding under domestic law and due process regardless of nationality.
- National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday the dispute has delayed U.S.–South Korea security consultations and urged keeping legal matters and alliance talks on separate tracks to restart negotiations quickly.
- Coupang disclosed about $1.09 million in U.S. lobbying during the first quarter, with contacts spanning the White House, the Vice President’s office, Congress, the Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative.
- The investigations followed a November 2025 data breach that exposed personal information for more than 30 million Coupang users, triggering multi-agency probes, parliamentary scrutiny and a political fight over corporate accountability.