US lawmaker accuses Korean regulators of 'discriminatory' actions against Coupang

WASHINGTON — A U.S. lawmaker claimed Tuesday that South Korean regulators appear to be "aggressively" targeting Coupang Inc., a U.S.-listed firm, through "discriminatory" actions, as the e-commerce giant is under intense scrutiny in Seoul over a massive customer data leak. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), chair of the trade subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, made the claim during a hearing, as Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo was in Washington to address growing U.S. concerns over South Korea's regulatory efforts over online platform firms and the Coupang case. "Korean regulators already seem to be aggressively targeting U.S. technology leaders," he said. "One example would be Coupang through discriminatory regulatory actions." Smith pointed out last year's joint fact sheet on trade and security agreements between Seoul and Washington, which included a shared commitment to ensuring that U.S. companies are not discriminated against and do not face unnecessary barriers from laws and policies concerning digital services. "Unfortunately, it's my observation that Korea continues