U.S. Lawmakers Slam 'Discriminatory' Regulatory Actions Against Coupang in 2026

Handshakes in public, but daggers in private. While South Korea's trade minister visited Washington to smooth over tensions, U.S. lawmakers were busy labeling Seoul’s recent scrutiny of Coupang as a "political witch hunt."

Coupang Discriminatory Regulatory Actions 2026: A Growing Rift

According to Yonhap, on January 13, 2026, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), chair of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee, claimed that South Korean regulators are "aggressively" targeting Coupang Inc. through "discriminatory" actions. The e-commerce giant, which is listed in the U.S., has been under intense scrutiny in Seoul over a massive customer data leak.

From Data Probes to 'Political Witch Hunts'

Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) argued during the hearing that South Korea continues to "stifle the free flow of digital trade." She pointed to a recently passed censorship bill and investigations into Coupang officials as evidence of a systemic attempt to target U.S. companies. Meanwhile, Nigel Cory of Crowell Global Advisors noted that U.S. firms consistently find the Korean system lacks due process.