Bom Kim designated as legal leader of Coupang, faces heavier regulatory scrutiny
Korea’s antitrust watchdog on Wednesday named Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk, better known as Bom Kim, as the legally designated controller of the e-commerce giant, a move that will put him under a wider range of regulatory scrutiny. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) released its 2026 list of business groups subject to public disclosure, and designated Kim, the board chairman of Coupang’s U.S.-based parent company Coupang Inc., as the group’s “same person” — a legal term referring to an individual deemed to effectively control a conglomerate. The term is based on the concept that all affiliates in a business group are de facto controlled by a single individual and treated as one economic entity. Once designated, the person and their relatives are required to submit extensive disclosures on governance and shareholding. The designation also subjects the group to broader regulations on issues such as unfair intra-group support and circular shareholding. Kim, a U.S. national, became the second foreign national designated as a controlling figure of a Korean conglomerate, following OCI
