PPP lawmaker sends letters to US House members over Coupang data breach

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the main opposition People Power Party speaks during a press conference, Aug. 5. Yonhap

An opposition lawmaker said Friday he has sent official letters to U.S. House members explaining that Korea's regulatory action against Coupang over a massive data breach was not discriminatory against the U.S.-listed company.

Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) sent the letters to nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives amid growing concerns in the U.S. Congress over Korea's treatment of Coupang and its broader digital market regulations.

"The letters were prepared to deliver accurate facts based on the official findings and regulatory actions of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) in response to claims raised by some U.S. lawmakers that the Korean government has unfairly targeted Coupang," his office said in a press release.

Cho explained that the regulatory action against Coupang was based on the same standards applied to domestic companies, dismissing claims that the Korean government discriminated against the U.S. company.

He also pointed to a significant discrepancy between the PIPC's finding that the breach affected around 37.55 million people and Coupang's report to the U.S. Congress that only approximately 3,000 accounts were affected.

"The South Korea-U.S. alliance that we have built over 70 years is a far greater and more valuable asset than the interests of a single company," he was quoted as saying. "South Korea's legitimate law enforcement against a single company should not spill over into unnecessary misunderstandings over bilateral trade, diplomatic relations or the alliance."

The letters were sent to Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Michael Baumgartner and seven others, according to Cho's office.

Cho is a member of the parliamentary science, ICT, broadcasting and communications committee.