Lawmakers slam Coupang for refusing to cooperate with antitrust probe

Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties criticized Coupang at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday for refusing an on-site investigation by the Fair Trade Commission. Coupang rejected the August investigation over a lack of advance notice and sued to overturn the decision. The Seoul High Court rejected an injunction request last month, allowing the FTC to resume its probe. Lawmakers called for measures to prevent companies from obstructing investigations.

Coupang filed a further appeal on Sept. 28, but the appeal did not automatically suspend the Seoul High Court’s decision.

The Seoul High Court ruled that suspending the investigation would harm the public interest more than it would benefit Coupang.

Rep. Park Sung-hoon said the incident was the first time since the large-retailers law took effect in 2012 that a company had prevented the FTC from conducting an on-site investigation.

Rep. Yoo Dong-soo proposed considering legislation requiring companies to cooperate without demanding that the FTC first prove a risk of evidence destruction.

FTC Chairman Ju Biung-ghi warned that granting Coupang’s injunction request could severely undermine law enforcement.

Published Oct 12, 2026 4:56 pm KST

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Ju Biung-ghi, left, speaks during the commission's parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties criticized Coupang on Monday for refusing an on-site investigation by the antitrust regulator, warning that its actions could undermine law enforcement and calling for legislation to prevent companies from obstructing investigations.

During a parliamentary audit of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) at the National Assembly in Seoul, Rep. Min Byoung-dug of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Coupang had blocked investigators from entering its premises, demanding that the FTC explain why it believed evidence could be destroyed.

“There is a question of whether Coupang should be allowed to treat Korea’s public authorities this way,” Min said. “If Coupang brazenly disregards the FTC’s authority in Korea, other retailers will do the same … It will be a very bad precedent.”

He also called for a committee resolution or a statement from the committee chair or party floor leaders condemning Coupang’s actions.

Coupang refused the commission’s on-site investigation in August over suspected violations of the law governing large retailers, arguing that the regulator had failed to provide the required advance notice. The company filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the investigation decision and requested an injunction to suspend the investigation.

The Seoul High Court rejected the injunction request last month, ruling that suspending the investigation would harm the public interest more than it would benefit the e-commerce giant. Coupang filed a further appeal on Sept. 28, but the move did not automatically suspend the court’s decision, allowing the FTC to resume its investigation.

Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) also criticized the company, noting that it was the first time since the law governing large retailers took effect in 2012 that a company had prevented the commission from conducting an on-site investigation.

“Despite earning enormous profits and enjoying all kinds of benefits in Korea, Coupang hides behind the shield of being an American company only when things go against it, refusing to fulfill its responsibilities,” Park said. “A company's listing on the U.S. stock market must not become a license to disregard Korean law.”

Rep. Yoo Dong-soo of the DPK urged the ruling and opposition parties' floor leaders to discuss possible countermeasures, including legislation to strengthen the FTC’s investigative powers.

“We should consider legislation to prevent companies from demanding that the FTC prove a risk of evidence destruction before conducting an investigation,” he said.

FTC Chairman Ju Biung-ghi said the agency was taking the matter seriously, warning that granting Coupang’s request to suspend the investigation could severely undermine enforcement.

“It is unclear what legal benefits would be gained by granting the request for an injunction, but the severe adverse impact on the public interest that would result is obvious,” Ju said.

周一，执政党和在野党议员在首尔国会批评Coupang拒绝公平交易委员会的现场调查。Coupang以未提前通知为由拒绝了8月份的调查，并提起诉讼要求推翻该决定。首尔高等法院上个月驳回了Coupang的禁令申请，允许公平交易委员会恢复调查。议员们呼吁采取措施，防止企业阻挠调查。

Coupang 于 9 月 28 日提起进一步上诉，但该上诉并未自动中止首尔高等法院的判决。

首尔高等法院裁定，暂停调查对公共利益的损害大于对 Coupang 的益处。

朴成勋议员表示，这是自2012年大型零售商法生效以来，首次有公司阻止联邦贸易委员会进行现场调查。

众议员柳东洙提议考虑立法，要求企业在不要求联邦贸易委员会首先证明存在销毁证据的风险的情况下进行合作。

美国联邦贸易委员会主席朱炳基警告说，批准 Coupang 的禁令请求可能会严重损害执法。

发布于2026年10月12日下午4:56（韩国标准时间）

周一，韩国公平交易委员会委员长朱炳基（左）在首尔国会出席该委员会的国会审计会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

周一，执政党和反对党的议员都批评了 Coupang 公司拒绝反垄断监管机构进行现场调查，警告称其行为可能会破坏执法，并呼吁立法防止公司阻挠调查。

在首尔国会举行的公平交易委员会（FTC）议会审计期间，执政党共同民主党议员闵炳德表示，Coupang 阻止了调查人员进入其办公场所，并要求 FTC 解释为什么认为证据可能会被销毁。

闵先生表示：“Coupang是否应该被允许这样对待韩国的公共机构，这是一个值得探讨的问题。如果Coupang公然无视韩国联邦贸易委员会的权威，其他零售商也会效仿……这将开创一个非常糟糕的先例。”

他还呼吁委员会通过决议，或者由委员会主席或党内领导人发表声明，谴责库邦的行为。

8月份，Coupang拒绝了委员会对其涉嫌违反大型零售商相关法律的现场调查，理由是监管机构未按规定提前通知。该公司提起诉讼，要求推翻调查决定，并申请禁令中止调查。

首尔高等法院上个月驳回了Coupang的禁令申请，裁定暂停调查对公共利益的损害大于对这家电商巨头的益处。Coupang于9月28日提起上诉，但此举并未自动中止法院的裁决，因此韩国联邦贸易委员会得以恢复调查。

主要反对党国民力量党（PPP）议员朴成勋也批评了该公司，指出这是自2012年大型零售商管理法生效以来，首次有公司阻止委员会进行现场调查。

朴先生表示：“尽管Coupang在韩国赚取了巨额利润并享受了各种好处，但只有当事情对其不利时，它才会躲在美国公司的身份背后，拒绝履行其应尽的责任。一家公司在美国股市上市绝不能成为其无视韩国法律的通行证。”

民主党议员柳东洙敦促执政党和在野党的党团领袖讨论可能的应对措施，包括立法加强公平交易委员会的调查权力。

他说：“我们应该考虑立法，阻止企业要求联邦贸易委员会在进行调查之前证明存在销毁证据的风险。”

公平交易委员会主席朱炳基表示，该机构非常重视此事，并警告说，如果批准 Coupang 暂停调查的请求，可能会严重损害执法工作。

“目前尚不清楚批准禁令请求会带来哪些法律上的好处，但由此对公共利益造成的严重不利影响是显而易见的，”朱先生说。