Ruling DPK expresses 'strong regret' over recent US House report regarding Coupang
Members of a civic group hold signs condemning the release of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's interim staff report accusing Korea of "discriminatory attacks" on Coupang and other American-owned businesses as they stage a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) expressed "strong regret" on Saturday over a "seriously distorted" U.S. congressional report alleging that Korea discriminates against Coupang and other American companies, while criticizing Coupang's response to its massive data leak case.
In an interim staff report released earlier this week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee said Coupang has been a "consistent target" of the Seoul government, claiming Korea has subjected U.S.-owned firms to "coercive investigations, overly burdensome regulatory requirements and excessive fines and penalties."
"The report seriously distorts the position of the Korean government, relying on one-sided claims by Coupang and unverified data," party spokesperson Jang Yoon-mi said in a written briefing.
Stressing that the Seoul government does not discriminate against or unfairly pressure companies based on nationality, the DPK urged Coupang to "stop shifting responsibility to the government in order to cover up its own wrongdoing."
The spokesperson also said the company should not remain silent on its personal data breach while portraying itself as a victim.
Coupang has faced public criticism and investigations over a massive data leak in Korea that is believed to have affected more than 33 million users.
The National Assembly, the presidential office and the foreign ministry issued separate statements expressing regret over the report, and stressed that investigations and regulatory measures concerning the data leak have been conducted in a fair manner.
The report came amid lingering concerns that Coupang's extensive lobbying activities in the U.S. capital could strain the relations between the allies. Lobbying Disclosure Act reports on the Senate website showed in April that the company had spent more than $1 million on lobbying activities in the U.S., including efforts involving the White House and Congress, since its data leak scandal erupted in November.