Trade minister urges USTR to separate Coupang probe from Seoul-Washington trade issues

▲ This photo provided by the Seoul industry ministry shows South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo (R) speaking with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

trade minister-Coupang probe

Trade minister urges USTR to separate Coupang probe from Seoul-Washington trade issues

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said Saturday he has stressed to U.S. trade officials that Seoul's investigation into e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. over a major data breach should be treated separately from broader trade issues between the two countries.

Yeo made the remarks regarding Coupang to reporters at Incheon International Airport after returning to South Korea following his participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Coupang, a U.S.-listed company founded by Korean American entrepreneur Kim Bom-suk, also known as Bom Kim, generates about 90 percent of its revenue in South Korea.

The minister met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the Davos forum and exchanged views on pending bilateral trade issues.

Yeo said he conveyed to Greer Seoul's position that the investigation does not constitute discriminatory treatment against a U.S. company and should not be elevated into a trade dispute.

"I explained that it is not because Coupang is a U.S. company," Yeo said, adding that authorities would have conducted the same non-discriminatory and transparent investigation if a South Korean firm had experienced a similar data breach.

Yeo also met with Greer and key lawmakers from both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during a separate visit to Washington last week to explain Seoul's stance on the Coupang probe and address concerns over South Korea's digital regulatory environment.

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