SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) -Coupang’s U.S. political action committee stepped up fundraising and political donations following its massive data breach in South Korea, U.S. filings showed on Thursday.
COUPAC contributed $185,000 to federal candidates and political committees in the first nine months of 2026, up 18.2 percent from $156,478 a year earlier before the massive data leak in November 2025 that invited various oversight on the ecommerce operations in South Korea, according to its Federal Election Commission filings.
The committee raised $176,282 during the period. Itemized individual contributions received by the PAC increased 18.4 percent to $163,457, while total receipts in the first half rose 20.8 percent from a year earlier. The figures distinguish money raised by COUPAC from donations it distributed to political recipients.
The increased giving came as the U.S.-listed e-commerce company faced investigations and regulatory penalties in its main South Korean market following the disclosure of a breach affecting approximately 33.7 million customer account last last year. The political payouts were concentrated early in the year.
On Jan. 2 alone, COUPAC distributed $80,000, including $15,000 each to the Democratic and Republican campaign committees for the House and Senate. Four other political action committees received $5,000 apiece.
First-quarter contributions reached $126,500, accounting for more than two-thirds of its January–September total. Payouts subsequently fell to $11,000 in the second quarter before recovering to $47,500 in the third, the filings showed.
Democrats received a larger share of the money as the Nov. 3 midterm elections approached. Contributions to Democratic candidates and affiliated committees totaled $102,000 in the first nine months, up 45.7 percent from $70,000 a year earlier. Republican recipients received $83,000, down about 4 percent from $86,478. Democrats consequently accounted for about 55 percent of the total, compared with roughly 45 percent a year earlier.
All $11,000 distributed in the second quarter went to Democratic candidates, including Sens. Mark Warner and Brian Schatz and Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, Derek Tran and Don Beyer. September recipients included House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose campaign received $5,000.
COUPAC continued supporting Republicans. Its first-quarter contributions included $5,000 each to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s campaign and the leadership PACs of Sen. Mike Lee and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.
Smith’s campaign and leadership PAC received a combined $20,000 across 2025 and the first nine months of 2026, including $5,000 this year. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald’s campaign received $1,000 on Jan. 15.
Separately, Coupang spent $3.62 million on U.S. lobbying during January–September, more than double the $1.69 million reported for the same period last year, according to lobbying disclosures. That also exceeded its full-year 2025 spending of $2.27 million.
Its latest disclosure listed the Executive Office of the President, the State and Commerce departments, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Senate among the institutions contacted. The stated agenda included protecting American companies operating in South Korea.
The company’s treatment in South Korea has become a point of friction in Washington.
A July report by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee accused South Korean authorities of discriminatory enforcement against Coupang, arguing that regulatory scrutiny intensified after the breach.
Seoul rejected that characterization, saying its investigations and enforcement measures were conducted under domestic law to protect consumers. South Korea’s privacy regulator imposed a 625 billion won fine in June, which Coupang said it would challenge in court.
In its response to the congressional report, Coupang said it remained committed to finding a constructive resolution and strengthening trade and investment between the two countries.
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