I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash
Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers, right, enters the Seoul Police Agency in Mapo District for investigation on Friday. Yonhap
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Experts warn against trade retaliation if the issue remains unresolved
The U.S. Congress has sent a clear signal that it will not sit back if U.S. commercial interests are put at risk by what it sees as foreign governments’ excessive regulatory measures against American companies, such as Coupang.
If necessary, Congress has shown that it is prepared to use all available means to push the Donald Trump administration to take tougher trade actions against those governments.
This message was underscored by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s decision on Thursday to issue a subpoena to Coupang, requiring Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers to testify at an upcoming hearing and submit documents and communications between the U.S. company and the Korean government following the recent data breach.
A congressional subpoena targeting one of Washington’s closest allies is rare — if not unprecedented — highlighting how seriously lawmakers are treating the issue.
Despite this, the warning appears not to have been fully heeded in Seoul. Korean officials have been wasting time expressing divergent views over the motives behind repeated warnings from U.S. politicians about Korea’s handling of Coupang, without showing signs of swift or effective action in response.
Within the government, two sharply contrasting interpretations have emerged regarding the subpoena. One view holds that Coupang aggressively lobbied U.S. lawmakers to increase pressure on the Korean government over law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into the Coupang data breach last year. Those who share this perspective argue that Seoul should not back down. The opposing view warns that the consequences could be severe if Korea continues to ignore growing concerns about Coupang within the U.S. government and Congress.
A high-ranking official told Korean correspondents Thursday (local time) at the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., that the subpoena was the result of Coupang’s lobbying of U.S. lawmakers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the Coupang case is not a diplomatic issue, though the government would manage it carefully to prevent any negative impact on Korea-U.S. relations. The remarks suggest that Congress’s probe into the Korean government’s alleged discriminatory treatment of Coupang would not affect Seoul’s approach, particularly authorities' ongoing investigation of the company.
Another official, however, rejected that interpretation. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said it would be inappropriate to claim that U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s discussion of the Coupang case during his Jan. 23 meeting with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok was merely the result of corporate lobbying. “We need to carefully review the issues raised in the U.S. and clarify our position if anything remains unclear,” he said in a media interview released Thursday. “If necessary, we also need to fully explain our stance to prevent misunderstandings on the U.S. side.”
Within the ruling camp, some politicians view the Coupang issue as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign strategy ahead of the midterm elections. “Coupang is one of the issues the Trump administration has been using to pressure the Korean government to invest more in the U.S. before the elections,” Sung Chi-hoon, spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said on an SBS news program.
Experts cautioned, however, that the potential spillover effects could be far greater than those suggested within the ruling camp. If the issue is not properly addressed, some warned that tariff retaliation driven by the Coupang case could become a real possibility.
Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of political science at the Catholic University of America, said the U.S. House committee’s investigation appears to mark an escalation in how the U.S. is confronting Korea over its alleged discriminatory treatment of American companies, including Coupang.
“The use of such subpoenas is rare, though not unprecedented,” he said.
Milosz Zurkowski, a lawyer at Seoul-based law firm LIN, pointed to the unusually strong language used in the House committee’s press release and the subpoena issued to Rogers as evidence of how seriously Congress is treating the case.
“Looking at the press release, the tone feels sharp,” he said.
He noted that phrases such as “discriminatory targeting,” “campaign against American-owned companies” and “sharp escalation” are unusually strong when directed at a close U.S. ally. Such rhetoric, he said, may reflect a perception among members of Congress that the Korean government has crossed a line.
“The press release also highlights the possibility of criminal exposure for American executives, which in U.S. political culture is often treated as a red line,” Zurkowski said. “Civil fines and regulatory disputes are generally tolerated, but high-profile Americans facing criminal action is considered far more sensitive.”
Lee Jong-eun, a political science professor at North Greenville University in South Carolina, said Congress’s protectionist tendencies are likely to persist.
“This may be part of a broader trend in which Congress is becoming more assertive and critical of foreign governments’ regulatory policies affecting U.S. companies,” he said. “During the Trump presidency and under a Republican-led Congress — and possibly even beyond — I expect the use of subpoenas as a leverage tool in international trade disputes to increase.”
Zurkowski also said the House committee’s reference to China could have significant implications for future Korea-U.S. relations.
In its press release, the committee stated that “the Korean government has continued to engage in targeted attacks on American-owned businesses in order to benefit their Korean and Chinese competitors.”
“I think this shows how the issue is being positioned to move upward within Washington,” Zurkowski said. He added that invoking China reframes the dispute in terms of strategic competition, given the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry across multiple policy areas.
“This makes it harder for the Trump administration to treat the matter as a purely bilateral regulatory dispute,” he said, citing the White House’s response to Korea’s June 3 snap presidential election. While the White House described the election as “fair,” it also expressed concerns about Chinese influence.
Experts said Korea should take the congressional subpoena seriously. Although the U.S. House committee has limited means to directly affect Korea, they noted that it wields significant influence and could pressure the Trump administration to adopt tougher measures, including trade retaliation.
“I don’t think Congress could automatically sanction Korea over what it views as a heavy-handed approach toward Coupang, and it would be unusual to do so against a treaty ally,” Yeo said. “However, Congress could intensify trade pressure by amplifying the Trump administration’s calls for higher tariffs on Korea. The committee’s investigation is already a step in that direction.”
Zurkowski warned of the possibility of reinforced tariff retaliation, stressing that forceful measures such as sanctions are ultimately implemented by the executive branch, not Congress alone. “In the Coupang case, the hearing could lead to recommendations for executive actions, including tariffs,” he said.
Lee said the Korean government should respond with a coordinated strategy to the House committee’s investigation. Otherwise, he warned, the Coupang case could become a bottleneck in the Korea-U.S. alliance.
“If the current Trump administration shares similar concerns over the allegations involving Coupang, a congressional subpoena could incentivize U.S. government agencies to coordinate, broaden their investigations and escalate diplomatic pressure — even extending to regulatory threats and warnings — against Korea,” he said.