US-domiciled e-commerce giant Coupang is actively lobbying Washington for support against more than 10 data leak investigations in South Korea. These probes follow a significant security breach that exposed the personal information of over 33 million users. Coupang and its major US investors allege the South Korean government's actions constitute a discriminatory campaign exceeding normal regulatory enforcement.
The lobbying effort has escalated the corporate dispute into a potential international trade issue. Investors have petitioned the US Trade Representative to investigate South Korea, a move that could result in the imposition of tariffs.
In a significant development, Harold Rogers, the interim CEO of Coupang's Korean unit, provided seven hours of closed-door testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. The committee subpoenaed Rogers as part of its investigation into the alleged unfair treatment of American companies.