Prime minister dismisses Coupang's accusation against Korean government

Members of a civic group chant in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Friday, to condemn U.S. politicians and businesspeople for defending Coupang. Yonhap

A Coupang investor and board member threatened Thursday to file an international lawsuit against Korea, alongside another U.S. investor. The move appears to be losing steam after the Korean government called the claims groundless and the company distanced itself from the dispute.

The investors’ move has further fueled negative public sentiment toward Coupang, which is believed to have tried to exert indirect pressure on the government to halt investigations into alleged labor, financial, and tax violations, as well as a massive data breach last November affecting more than 33.7 million users.

The prime minister’s office said Friday that the U.S. investors distorted remarks made by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Dec. 19, 2025.

In a letter sent by Greenoaks Capital Partners and Altimeter Capital Management to President Lee Jae Myung via the U.S. law firm Covington & Burling, the investors claimed that Kim urged regulators to approach enforcement against Coupang for the data breach "with the same determination used to wipe out mafias" and "impose strong economic sanctions" without worrying about the workforce.

“His remarks were not intended to sanction or punish any specific company or any firm based on nationality,” Kim’s office said. “He did not mention Coupang or any particular company or country.”

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, talks with U.S. representatives at the U.S. Congress in Washington, Thursday (local time). Yonhap

Meanwhile, the prime minister told U.S. representatives in Washington on Thursday (local time) that the Korean government does not discriminate against the Seattle-headquartered company.

“The relationship between Korea and the U.S. is built on deep trust, so there is no need to worry about discriminatory treatment,” he said.

In what seemed an attempt to frame the matter as a trade dispute, the U.S. investors alleged that Korea’s president and his party are trying to bankrupt Coupang to benefit its Chinese competitors.

The investors also repeated Coupang’s claim that the data breach affected only about 3,000 accounts, far fewer than the 33.7 million users originally reported.

In response to criticism in Korea, Coupang said that the litigation does not represent the company’s position.

“Coupang has fully cooperated with the government’s investigations,” the company said.

However, given Greenoaks founder Neil Mehta’s decade-long role on Coupang’s board, questions are growing about the company’s possible involvement in the dispute.

Rep. Jeong Hye-kyeong of the minor opposition Jinbo Party said Coupang’s major investors cannot justify filing a lawsuit against the Korean government instead of the company itself.

Unlike Greenoaks and Altimeter, other U.S. investors in Coupang have filed class-action suits against the company, alleging financial losses caused by its delayed disclosure of the data breach.

The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said in a statement that the U.S. investors’ threat is an attempt to undermine Korea’s sovereignty by interfering with legitimate law enforcement and regulatory authority.

A day before the threat, the president reaffirmed that the government would address the Coupang case based on laws and principles.

“As a sovereign nation, Korea will handle this matter with confidence and fairness,” he said during a nationally televised New Year’s press conference.