On Monday, Harold Rogers, the interim representative of Coupang, appeared before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Rogers is currently under investigation by more than ten South Korean government agencies due to a massive data breach.
Rogers entered the committee meeting room, located in Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., at 9:42 a.m.
When approached by South Korean reporters and asked about his stance for the day, Rogers remained silent and proceeded directly into the meeting room.
As of 2:00 p.m., the committee had been hearing testimony from Coupang representatives for nearly five hours.
Rogers had lunch delivered and continued his testimony into the afternoon.
During the meeting, it appears that committee staff and legal representatives primarily focused on questioning Rogers and other Coupang representatives.
Notably absent before the meeting were Republican members who had issued the subpoena, including Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Scott Fitzgerald, chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Antitrust.
During the lunch break, only the committee’s legal representatives and staff were seen leaving and returning to the meeting room. Coupang representatives, including Rogers, were briefly glimpsed through a crack in the door, eating delivered sandwiches and salads.
A committee spokesperson, addressing South Korean reporters outside the meeting room, stated that while all relevant matters were being discussed, specific details could not be disclosed due to the closed nature of the testimony session.
In their subpoena letter dated February 5, Jordan and Fitzgerald requested all records of communications with the South Korean government and written materials detailing how government investigations might impact Coupang’s business operations.
The House Judiciary Committee is expected to question Rogers based on this documentation to determine whether various sanctions imposed by the South Korean government constitute discriminatory treatment against Coupang.
In their letter, they highlighted that despite trade agreements ensuring non-discrimination against American companies, South Korean regulatory authorities have repeatedly subjected them to discriminatory treatment, unfair enforcement, and threats of criminal punishment.
They also noted that President Lee Jae Myung has called for significant penalties and active punishment against Coupang, while the Fair Trade Commission has hinted at potentially suspending Coupang’s operations.
The lawmakers justified the subpoena by stating the committee’s need to investigate these efforts’ scope and nature, including potential new legislation to protect American businesses and citizens from discriminatory laws and enforcement by foreign governments. They emphasized the importance of understanding how these actions affect Americans’ due process rights and global competitiveness.
In light of the Coupang incident, they have officially announced their intention to conduct a comprehensive investigation into whether South Korean digital regulations infringe on the due process and global competitiveness of American companies. Based on their findings, they aim to pursue new protective legislation to counter foreign government regulations.
Rogers was appointed as the interim representative of Coupang’s Korean subsidiary following a massive data breach affecting 33.7 million individuals. Initially, the South Korean National Assembly had planned to summon both Kim Beom-seok, chairman of Coupang Inc. (the U.S. headquarters), and Rogers for a hearing. However, only Rogers appeared before the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee in December of last year. Subsequently, Rogers faced police investigations for alleged evidence destruction and perjury.
This subpoena has drawn particular attention as both the U.S. Congress and administration have become increasingly sensitive to foreign government regulations affecting American tech companies.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling that tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal, Trump has decided to implement a 15% global tariff starting Tuesday, utilizing Trade Law Section 122.
The Trump administration has been exerting pressure on trade partners, including South Korea, through Trade Law Section 301. This law grants the administration authority to impose tariffs in response to unfair or unreasonable discriminatory policies and practices by foreign governments.
In South Korea’s case, there is a high likelihood that discrimination against digital technology companies will be a focal point of concern.
The U.S. government has recently argued that proposed legislation related to online platforms and the newly enacted Anti-Misinformation Law (amendments to the Information and Communications Network Act) represent measures that discriminate against American companies.
