On Sunday, the People Power Party criticized the inclusion of President Lee Jae Myung’s name in a subpoena issued to Harold Rogers, Coupang’s interim representative in South Korea, calling it a national embarrassment and asking where else such a disgrace could be found.
Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo Yoon stated in a commentary that this issue goes beyond the individual case of Coupang. The crux of the matter is that the President’s statements and the government’s response have escalated into an official concern for the U.S. Congress.
Choi said the core of the Coupang incident was clear, arguing that Korean citizens were the victims of the leak of 34 million personal data records. He added that protecting personal information is a universal principle that transcends nationality, and that American companies are not exempt.
He continued, however, that this fundamental issue had been sidelined and that the matter had instead been reframed as discrimination against American companies and thrust onto the international stage. He added that due to the government’s inadequate message control and lack of diplomatic coordination, it had now become an official issue for the U.S. Congress. Choi also said the problem was that the public remained in the dark about the actions taken by the government and the Blue House as the situation deteriorated to this point.
He added that there had been no explanation of the decisions and coordination by diplomatic and trade officials that led to the president’s name appearing in a foreign congressional subpoena, and said that in such a critical situation, either the chief of staff or the national security adviser should step forward with a responsible explanation.
Choi also said that Prime Minister Kim Min Seok had recently met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and claimed the hotline was active, and that his side had clearly explained that there was no discriminatory treatment regarding the Coupang issue. Choi asked whether, if that was the case, the government could explain the current situation in which the U.S. Congress had issued a subpoena naming the president, and said the prime minister must provide a clear answer.
On Thursday, the U.S. Congress sent a subpoena to Representative Rogers. Reports suggest that the subpoena cites President Lee’s calls for aggressive penalties and substantial fines against Coupang as evidence of alleged discriminatory treatment.