Seoul: The foreign ministry on Thursday expressed regret over a U.S. House Judiciary Committee report that accused Seoul of carrying out "discriminatory attacks" against e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. and other American firms. In an interim staff report released Wednesday (U.S. time), the committee said Coupang has been a "consistent target" of the Seoul government, claiming South Korea has subjected U.S.-owned firms to "coercive investigations, overly burdensome regulatory requirements and excessive fines and penalties" in favor of Korean firms.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry spokesperson Park Il stated in a press briefing, "We express regret that the report appears to reflect only Coupang's claims in a one-sided manner," emphasizing that the report fails to incorporate the Seoul government's position and the factual information provided to the committee. Park further added that the investigations and regulatory measures concerning Coupang have been conducted lawfully under South Korean law and implemented in a fair and non-discriminatory manner, regardless of nationality.

Coupang has faced public criticism and investigations over a massive data leak in South Korea that is believed to have affected more than 33 million users. The strongly worded report has renewed concerns that the Coupang issue could affect broader aspects of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Officials in Seoul have acknowledged that the issue has contributed, at least in part, to delays in bilateral security consultations outlined in the Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet released following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in October. The consultations, which focus on Seoul's push to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine, and secure capabilities for civil uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, were held only last month after they were initially expected to begin earlier this year.

Park reassured that "the government will continue consultations with the U.S. side to ensure that issues related to Coupang do not have a negative impact on security discussions between the two nations." Officials mentioned that additional reports or congressional hearings could follow, given that the document is an interim staff report akin to a preliminary report, adding that the government will continue outreach efforts to explain Seoul's position on the issue.

Both Seoul and Washington are actively working to hold a second round of security consultations later this month, as stated by the officials.