Coupang calls itself a US company, but few Americans know it

SEATTLE — Coupang is headquartered in Seattle, listed on the New York Stock Exchange and incorporated in Delaware. By its own definition, it is an American company. But on a recent afternoon in South Lake Union, just blocks from Amazon’s sprawling campus, the name drew blank stares from passersby and office workers alike. “I’ve lived here for 10 years and never heard of it,” said Jason Miller, a software engineer working nearby. “If it’s a Seattle company, it’s not one people here interact with.” At a nearby coffee shop, marketing consultant Emily Chen said the label feels off. “When you say ‘American company,’ I think of something that operates here, hires here, has customers here,” she said. “This doesn’t sound like that.” The disconnect underscores a growing tension as Coupang finds itself at the center of a geopolitical dispute between Washington and Seoul, drawing attention well beyond its core market. U.S. Republican lawmakers have recently stepped in to defend the company, accusing South Korea of discriminating against American firms, with Coupang ci

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