South Korea’s Democratic Party said U.S. House Republicans were wrong to urge Seoul to stop what they called discrimination against Coupang, arguing that investigating companies suspected of breaking Korean law is a sovereign right.
Han Jeong-ae, the party’s policy chief, said at a party meeting at the National Assembly on April 28 that the letter’s argument effectively implies U.S. companies should face looser standards abroad than in the United States.
“They invoke the rule of law and sovereignty, yet at the same time make demands that directly violate those principles. It is logically inconsistent,” Han said. She added that protecting citizens’ personal information and investigating and probing alleged legal violations are “the legitimate right of a sovereign state.”
Rep. Lee Yong-woo said authorities are considering sanctions against Coupang over alleged violations of multiple Korean laws, including the Personal Information Protection Act, the Fair Trade Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“If they argue Coupang should be exempt from legal sanctions simply because it is a U.S. company, that is not fair and amounts to demanding preferential treatment,” Lee said. He also said the group letter from Republican lawmakers “undermines mutual trust and respect between allies,” adding that he “strongly regrets” it.
The Democratic Party said it plans to send its own protest letter to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, led by Rep. Park Hong-bae.
“I don’t know what kind of falsehoods Coupang is telling in the United States that leads to interference in another country’s judicial matters,” Park said. “What happens in the Republic of Korea must be resolved under Korea’s laws and procedures.” He said lawmakers came together across factions and parties to defend the rule of law and sovereignty.
Park warned that if U.S. political demands are accepted, it could set a precedent for multinational companies to use diplomatic pressure to intervene in domestic judicial procedures. “Korea’s judicial sovereignty is not a subject for negotiation,” he said, adding that he and 90 lawmakers “will not back down” from what he called an unjust demand.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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