U.S. House Judiciary Committee: "South Korea Engages in Discriminatory Attacks Against U.S. Firms, Continues to Target Coupang"

A report from the U.S. Congress released yesterday, July 1 (local time), claims that the South Korean government is treating U.S. companies, including Coupang, in a discriminatory manner.

The report specifically alleges that the South Korean government has continuously targeted Coupang, arguing that such discriminatory treatment constitutes a violation of U.S.-Korea trade agreements.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee published a 35-page report on its website that day titled, "Blocking Competition: South Korea’s Discriminatory Attacks on U.S.-Owned Businesses."

The committee stated, "South Korea has a long history of economically discriminating against foreign firms," adding, "These practices include coercive investigative tactics, overly burdensome regulatory requirements, and massive fines and penalties that punish U.S. companies and make it difficult for them to compete effectively with Korean firms."

It further emphasized, "Coupang has been a persistent target of the South Korean government," noting that "South Korea has relentlessly investigated Coupang, made unreasonable demands through regulatory authorities, and even threatened to shut down its operations."

The Judiciary Committee claimed, "The hostility toward Coupang has persisted for years but intensified significantly after a former employee stole a limited amount of customer data from Coupang," adding, "Following this incident, the South Korean government spread misinformation about Coupang, labeled the company a criminal organization, and launched numerous investigations unrelated to the incident."

The committee also stated, "South Korea's attacks on Coupang have harmed U.S. companies and citizens who sell billions of dollars worth of products through Coupang each year."

"South Korea's economic discrimination against U.S.-owned businesses is a direct violation of trade agreements recently signed with the United States," the committee added. "The Judiciary Committee will continue to oversee legislation to better protect U.S. companies and consumers."

(Photo: Website capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.