Seoul: E-commerce giant Coupang Inc. spent US$250,000 lobbying the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the second quarter of the year through a firm with close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, a lobbying disclosure report showed Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ballard Partners, a Trump-linked lobbying firm, filed a report on the Senate website for Lobbying Disclosure Act reports. This report indicated that the firm had received the money for lobbying activities for its client, Coupang, during the reporting period from April 1 to June 30.
The lobbying activities took place amidst criticisms from a House Judiciary Committee report and a White House official regarding South Korea's regulatory probes into Coupang's massive data leak. These probes have been labeled as "discriminatory," with concerns that they might impact alliance cooperation between the two countries.
The report detailed that Ballard Partners conducted lobbying activities concerning U.S. export promotion, international economic policy, investment flows, and efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the United States and allies, including South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Britain, and the European Union.
Founded by Brian Ballard, an influential lobbyist, Ballard Partners is headquartered in Florida and is known for its close ties to Trump. It has reportedly employed former Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
On July 1, the House Judiciary Committee issued an interim staff report, accusing South Korea of "discriminatory attacks" on Coupang and other American companies, alleging that the Asian country's treatment of them violates last year's bilateral trade deal.
Additionally, a White House official expressed concerns that Coupang is being "singled out" by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration, labeling the actions as "discriminatory" targeting of the U.S.-listed firm.
In response, South Korea's foreign ministry expressed regret over the House committee report, arguing that it seems to reflect Coupang's claims in a "one-sided" manner and fails to include Seoul's position and the "factual information" it has provided to the committee.
Coupang Corp., the South Korean unit of the U.S.-listed e-commerce company, defended its actions by stating that lobbying is a lawful activity in the United States. "More than 15,000 companies and organizations, including major multinational corporations, engage in lawful lobbying activities in the U.S. It is regrettable that Coupang Inc. has been portrayed as if it were the only company engaged in such activities," the company said in a press release.