South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said it "expresses regret" over a US House of Representatives report alleging that the Korean government is treating American companies, including Coupang, in a discriminatory manner, noting that the report "one-sidedly reflects only Coupang's claims."
"The report's content, which claims that our government is continuing discriminatory investigations and unjust regulation against Coupang, differs from the facts," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a regular briefing held at an annex of the Government Complex Seoul that day.
"Investigations and measures concerning Coupang are being carried out lawfully and in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our domestic laws," Park stressed. "Our government guarantees a fair business environment regardless of nationality." He added, "Since the report has been published, the government will contact the US Judiciary Committee and provide the necessary explanation."
Earlier, the US House Judiciary Committee released a 35-page report through its website on Monday, titled "Blocking Competition: Korea's Discriminatory Attacks on American-Owned Businesses."
The committee claimed that "Korea has a long history of economically discriminating against foreign companies," and that "these practices include coercive investigation tactics, excessively burdensome regulatory requirements, and enormous fines and penalties that punish American companies and make it difficult to compete effectively with Korean firms."
The committee particularly focused on the Coupang issue. "Korea's hostility toward Coupang has continued for years, but it intensified significantly after a former employee stole a limited amount of customer information from Coupang," the committee claimed. "After this incident, the Korean government spread false information about Coupang, labeled Coupang a criminal organization, and launched numerous investigations unrelated to the incident."
The government is understood to view the possibility of additional reports or hearings related to the Coupang issue, as a hardline stance over discriminatory treatment of American companies continues in the US Congress. However, since the committee said it is prepared to hear the Korean government's position regarding the report, the government reportedly plans to continue its explanatory efforts toward Congress.
