National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on April 24 criticized U.S. Republican lawmakers who sent a letter to South Korea’s ambassador to the United States urging an end to what they described as discriminatory regulations against Coupang, saying they should “refrain from interfering in domestic affairs.”
Speaking on SBS radio program “Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show” earlier in the day, Woo called the letter “a clear case of interference in domestic affairs” and asked, “If our companies had done such things in the United States, such as data leaks or algorithm manipulation, would the U.S. remain silent?”
He added, “Coupang has faced large-scale data leak issues and allegations of algorithm manipulation,” and criticized the lawmakers’ actions, saying, “For lawmakers to claim to the Korean ambassador that this is a biased measure against U.S. companies amounts to rejecting the laws we have.”
Woo also directly criticized Coupang, saying, “If a company operates and earns money in South Korea, it should comply with the law and follow government measures,” adding, “It seems they want to make money freely in Korea while ignoring public sentiment. Coupang should show respect to the Korean people.”
Woo also took aim at People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, referencing a recent National Barometer Survey (NBS) in which the party recorded its lowest approval rating of 15% since its founding.
“Looking at the local election process, candidates appear to be distancing themselves from leader Jang and pursuing their own paths,” Woo said. “He needs to reflect on his position.”
Meanwhile, the NBS survey was conducted through telephone interviews using 100% virtual mobile numbers nationwide. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, with a response rate of 17.7%. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.