SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� South Korea鈥檚 government on Thursday disputed a U.S. congressional report accusing Seoul of discriminating against Coupang, a U.S.-listed electronic commerce giant that was hit with a record 625 billion won ($403 million) fine in June over a massive data breach affecting millions of South Korean customers.
South Korea Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il expressed regret over Wednesday鈥檚 report by the House Judiciary Committee, saying it reflected 鈥渙nly Coupang鈥檚 unilateral claims鈥� and failed to include Seoul鈥檚 position.
South Korean authorities鈥� investigation into Coupang and the measures taken against the company were carried out under domestic law, he said, denying Seoul had subjected Coupang to discrimination or unfair regulation.
The U.S. committee鈥檚 accused South Korea鈥檚 antitrust authorities of using 鈥渃oercive investigation tactics鈥� and waging a 鈥渉arassment campaign鈥� against Coupang and argued the actions highlight escalating discrimination against American-owned businesses.
鈥淥ur handling of the Coupang case has focused on handling the personal data breach and protecting consumers, and our investigation into the company and the related measures have been carried out lawfully and without discrimination under relevant domestic laws,鈥� Park said.
The suggestion that South Korea’s government 鈥渃arried out discriminatory investigations鈥� and 鈥渋mposed unfair regulations鈥� on the company was not consistent with the facts, Park said.
After fining Coupang in June over a massive 2025 data breach, South Korea鈥檚 Personal Information Protection Commission said the personal information of more than 37 million people had been exposed, including 33 million Coupang customers.
The breach, which Coupang failed to report within 72-hour period required by law, reflected the company鈥檚 inadequate security awareness and safeguards, according to the commission, which noted the breach didn鈥檛 involve sophisticated hacking techniques and could have been prevented relatively easily.
A former Coupang employee gained unauthorized access to customer accounts with a stolen security key. The company鈥檚 lax security allowed the unidentified Chinese developer to continue accessing all customer personal information even after leaving the company, South Korean officials said.
Coupang apologized for the breach but said it would challenge the fine in an administrative court, accusing the privacy regulator of failing to properly consider the company鈥檚 efforts to strengthen safeguards and prevent further harm.
鈥淲e regret the circumstances that led to the House Judiciary Committee鈥檚 investigation, and we remain committed to finding a constructive resolution so Coupang can once again serve as a bridge to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance, accelerating trade and investment that benefits both countries,鈥� Coupang said in an emailed statement.
Seattle-based Coupang is described on its website as a 鈥淯.S. technology and Fortune 150 company鈥� that fuels American growth by 鈥渃onnecting thousands of U.S. companies and brands to international markets.鈥� But most of the firm’s revenue is generated in South Korea, where it is best known for its fast delivery of food, groceries and consumer goods.
Citing U.S. Senate lobbying disclosure records, South Korea鈥檚 Yonhap 91欧美激情 Agency reported that since the data breach scandal erupted in November, Coupang has spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the U.S., including efforts involving the White House and Congress.
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