Coupang Inc., the parent company of Coupang, has cut its lobbying expenses in Washington, D.C. by 30% compared to the previous year. Some analysts suggest that the U.S. government may view its intense scrutiny of Coupang as discriminatory, regardless of the company’s lobbying efforts.
According to the lobbying watchdog OpenSecrets and reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), Coupang spent $2.27 million on lobbying last year. This breaks down to $1.1 million in the first two quarters, $590,000 in the third, and $580,000 in the fourth quarter, which coincided with a data breach incident.
Last year’s lobbying expenditure represents a 30% decrease from 2024’s $3.31 million. Notably, Coupang maintained its lobbying spending at pre-breach levels even after the fourth quarter data breach.
In contrast, lobbying spending by both domestic and foreign companies has surged. Federal lobbying funds hit a record $4.5 billion in 2024. The first half of 2025 saw spending exceed $2.64 billion, up 16% year-over-year, with projections suggesting it could top $5 billion by year-end.
Tech giants like Meta ($26.29 million), General Motors ($19.69 million), and Amazon ($18.75 million) outspent Coupang by up to 10 times last year.
Korean conglomerates have also widened the gap with Coupang in U.S. lobbying. Samsung Electronics led the pack, spending $7.41 million, slightly up from $6.98 million the previous year. SK Group ($5.77 million), Hanwha Group ($3.77 million), and Hyundai Motor Group ($3.34 million) followed, with Hyundai increasing its spending by about 44% from 2024.
Some observers argue that the U.S. might be perceived as discriminating against Korean and Chinese firms, regardless of their lobbying efforts. In the wake of Coupang’s data breach, the Korean government has launched a sweeping investigation, deploying hundreds of investigators from over ten agencies to probe various aspects of the company’s operations, including labor practices, fair trade, and logistics.
Professor Kim Dae Jong of Sejong University notes that reduced lobbying expenditures make it difficult to infer increased engagement with U.S. policymakers. He suggests that recent concerns raised in U.S. political circles likely stem from a broader perception of regulatory bias against American companies in Korea, rather than specific lobbying outcomes.
Industry insiders point out that the U.S. government’s comprehensive investigation into Coupang following a data breach is unprecedented, as similar incidents involving foreign companies in the U.S. have not triggered such wide-ranging probes into labor and financial practices. This unusual approach has even prompted high-profile American business leaders, including the CEOs of Palantir and Y Combinator, to speak out against what they see as excessive discrimination against Coupang in Korea.