The South Korean government has committed to treating American technology companies fairly following complaints from U.S. congressional members about alleged discriminatory practices against firms including e-commerce giant Coupang.
In a statement released Thursday, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry announced that the country is putting measures in place to prevent U.S. digital companies from facing unfair treatment or unnecessary obstacles to conducting business.
The ministry referenced a bilateral fact sheet from November that was part of a trade agreement between the United States and South Korea, which included these protections for American companies.
This diplomatic response follows a letter sent earlier this week by American legislators to South Korean Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha, calling for an immediate halt to what they described as discriminatory regulatory measures targeting U.S. businesses.
Republican Study Committee member Michael Baumgartner led the congressional effort, with lawmakers stating that the “systematic targeting of American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta, and Coupang is particularly concerning.”
The legislators accused South Korea of using a minor data security incident in November 2025 as justification to launch coordinated government action against Coupang, including potential license revocation and pressure on pension funds to sell their stakes in the company’s parent organization.
“We are committed to ensuring that your government ceases its persecution of Coupang and other American companies operating in South Korea,” the congressional letter stated.
Seoul’s Foreign Ministry defended its actions, explaining that the investigation into Coupang’s data security breach follows standard domestic legal procedures that apply equally regardless of a company’s nationality.
The U.S.-listed company Coupang Inc., which operates Coupang Korea, has faced significant criticism from South Korean officials and the public after a data breach compromised information belonging to more than 30 million customers.
On Wednesday, the ministry emphasized that matters related to Coupang should remain separate from ongoing security discussions with Washington, which include South Korea’s plans to develop nuclear-powered submarine capabilities.
