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Members of a coalition of civic teams maintain a press convention exterior the US Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 23, 2026, the place they condemn what they known as “overseas interference” by exterior forces in scrutiny of Korean e-commerce platform Coupang. (Yonhap)
After two US corporations invested in Coupang filed a discover of intent to provoke investor-state dispute settlement arbitration proceedings in opposition to the South Korean authorities and requested that the Workplace of the US Commerce Consultant examine what they known as “discriminatory” therapy of the Korean e-commerce large, some counsel the transfer might spark one other wave of Coupang boycotts.
South Korean civic teams have condemned the motion by the corporations as an “infringement on sovereignty.”
A marketing campaign for making Coupang safer for employees and customers comprising 135 civic teams joined a coalition for legislating the regulation of on-line platforms for an emergency press convention in entrance of the US Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District on Friday.
“Political and monetary circles throughout the US are turning a blind eye to Coupang’s unlawful habits, whereas meddling in [Korea’s] inner affairs,” the audio system mentioned.
In a press release revealed the identical day, a federation of Korean small and medium-sized companies urged Coupang to “cease cowardly hiding behind US politicians whereas pressuring the Korean authorities,” and to “apologize to the general public for its numerous unlawful acts and for exploiting small companies and self-employed employees.”
Such backlash comes after Greenoaks Capital Companions and Altimeter Capital Administration, two US funding corporations with ties to Coupang, despatched a discover of intent to deliver arbitration claims in opposition to the federal government of South Korea on Jan. 22. The 2 corporations contend that after Coupang’s large buyer knowledge breach final 12 months, the Korean authorities and Nationwide Meeting violated the free commerce settlement between the US and South Korea with their “assault” on Coupang, throughout which period they “erased billions of {dollars} of US funding in Coupang.”
The 2 corporations additionally despatched a discover to the US Commerce Consultant requesting an investigation into the Korean authorities and the imposition of commerce safety measures.
In a press release on Friday, Coupang denied involvement with the 2 US funding corporations’ determination to inform Korea of their intention to hunt arbitration, however after seeing Coupang’s response to the info leak and the angle proven by Harold Rogers, the CEO of the company’s Korean operations, at Nationwide Meeting hearings on the leak, there was a rising sense of antipathy for Coupang, with many native clients deleting their accounts.
The corporate started to see a rebound in clients beginning on Jan. 15, when Coupang started sending out vouchers value 50,000 gained in the way in which of compensation, however some say that it’s too early to view this as a vote of client belief.
Quite a few posts have gone up on on-line boards suggesting that customers are severely contemplating calling it quits on Coupang after the most recent developments, with some stating that they deleted their accounts after utilizing the vouchers.
“Contemplating that the variety of customers and quantity being spent on different e-commerce platforms has gone up, it looks like there’s been a little bit of a change in how shoppers are utilizing Coupang,” one e-commerce trade insider informed the Hankyoreh.
“We’re keeping track of whether or not that is short-lived or continues into the medium and long run,” they mentioned.
By Search engine optimization Hye-mi, workers reporter
Please direct questions or feedback to [english@hani.co.kr]
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