Korean, U.S. lawmakers clash over Coupang data breach probe

Ninety-six South Korean lawmakers fired back Tuesday at U.S. congressional pressure to halt Korea's investigation of Coupang, accusing Washington of violating Korean sovereignty and attempting to interfere in an independent law enforcement matter, the Korea Times reported.

The standoff marks a new flashpoint in U.S.-South Korea relations since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June 2025, and signals growing unease among Korean-American communities over how political tensions between the two allies may reshape technology regulation and bilateral trade.

The dispute centers on Coupang, South Korea's largest e-commerce platform. Korean authorities launched an investigation into the company after a data breach first reported in November 2025, according to the Korea Times.

On April 21, 54 U.S. House Republicans sent a letter to Seoul urging Korea to reconsider what they described as discriminatory regulatory actions against American companies. The letter named Coupang alongside Apple, Google and Meta as targets of Korean scrutiny, and warned that enforcement actions against U.S. firms could hand a competitive advantage to Chinese e-commerce rivals including Temu, Alibaba and Shein.

In a sharply worded reply, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea, the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Jinbo Party sent a joint letter to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. The 96 signatories characterized the Republican intervention as a violation of Korean sovereignty and a direct attempt to influence the country's law enforcement processes, the Korea Times reported.

The exchange underscored strains running deeper than the Coupang case. Rep. Ami Bera, Democrat of California and ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, referenced a poll showing more than 70 percent of South Koreans favor developing an independent nuclear capability — a figure analysts say reflects eroding confidence in the U.S. security umbrella.

The Korea Times reported that bilateral tensions have intensified since Lee's inauguration in June 2025. Korean Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha received the lawmakers' open letter.

The Korea Times called for parliamentary diplomacy and direct dialogue between U.S. and Korean legislators as the most viable path to defusing tensions before they further strain one of Washington's most critical alliances in Asia.