Coupang feared to become 1st target for FTC's investigative task force

Coupang is facing the prospect of tougher FTC scrutiny in Seoul as the watchdog has launched a new task force for complex platform violations. The bureau comes as Coupang is already fighting multiple regulatory disputes over discount costs, search rankings, supplier dealings and its food delivery business. The FTC has not named its first target, but officials and industry figures say Coupang could be among the earliest cases.

The FTC launched a 40-member Key Investigation Planning Bureau on Thursday to handle major platform and large-group cases.

Coupang is challenging the FTC in court over an on-site investigation tied to allegations that it shifted discount costs onto suppliers.

The Seoul High Court rejected Coupang’s request to suspend the inspection last month, and Coupang filed a further appeal on Monday.

In 2024, the FTC fined Coupang 162.8 billion won for alleged manipulation of search rankings and employee reviews through its private-label subsidiary CPLB.

Coupang Eats is also under FTC probe over alleged preferential treatment requirements imposed on restaurants using the platform.

Published Oct 2, 2026 3:58 pm KST

E-commerce firm's dispute with antitrust watchdog deepening

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Ju Biung-ghi answers questions from reporters during a press conference at Government Complex Sejong, Sept. 21. Yonhap

Coupang is facing the prospect of even tougher regulatory scrutiny, as the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a special investigative task force to investigate complex violations involving dominant platforms, in what appears to be a move targeting the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant.

The FTC launched its 40-member Key Investigation Planning Bureau on Thursday, upgrading its existing investigation team to a bureau-level organization dedicated to major cases involving platforms, large business groups and serious violations affecting consumers and small businesses.

The new bureau comes as Coupang has emerged as one of the most persistent subjects of FTC scrutiny. With the company increasingly challenging the watchdog’s investigations and actions, their disputes expand across search rankings, supplier transactions, discount costs and its food delivery business.

The FTC has not identified its first target, and there is no confirmation that Coupang will be assigned as the first investigation target from the task force.

But the company’s expanding confrontation with the regulator means the launch comes at an unusually sensitive moment. Rather than facing a series of isolated investigations, Coupang could now find its various regulatory disputes examined under a more integrated enforcement structure.

FTC Chairman Ju Biung-ghi has previously cited Coupang when explaining why the new organization was needed, saying platform cases increasingly involve multiple types of alleged violations that cannot be effectively examined by separate departments.

The task force will operate without permanently assigning investigators to specific types of cases, allowing it to pursue complex investigations across business areas.

For Coupang, the timing is difficult to ignore.

The company is currently challenging the FTC in court over an on-site investigation into allegations that it shifted discount costs onto suppliers. Earlier, Coupang refused to cooperate with the inspection, arguing that the FTC had failed to provide the seven-day advance notice.

The Seoul High Court rejected Coupang’s request to suspend the inspection last month, clearing the way for the FTC to resume its investigation.

A Coupang delivery truck is parked at its logistics center in Seoul in 2024. Yonhap

Coupang filed a further appeal on Monday, arguing that the Supreme Court should review the legality of the investigation procedures and the company’s procedural rights.

The confrontation has also hardened the FTC’s stance toward companies seeking to use court injunctions to delay investigations.

Last month, Ju said the disruption of the Coupang probe was “regrettable” and that the agency would review its investigation rules to close loopholes that allow companies to delay on-site inspections through court proceedings.

He has also argued that failed investigations could undermine the FTC’s ability to protect small businesses dealing with major retailers.

The dispute is only one front in the regulator’s broader regulatory campaign against Coupang.

In 2024, the FTC imposed a fine of 162.8 billion won ($120 million) on Coupang, as its private-label subsidiary, CPLB, was suspected of manipulating search rankings to favor its own products and using employee reviews to promote them. Coupang challenged the sanctions in court.

Coupang Eats is also facing a probe by the watchdog over alleged preferential treatment requirements imposed on restaurants that do business with the food delivery platform.

Industry officials said the accumulation of such cases is precisely what could make Coupang an early subject for the new task force.

“Given that the FTC chief outwardly criticized Coupang, the industry is paying keen attention to whether Coupang will become the first target for the new task force from the watchdog," an official from the industry said.

"Investigators from the task force are now allowed to approach complex cases across multiple business areas at once, making it easier to examine diverse unfair practices from a single platform firm," the official added.

FTC chief vows to 'restore justice' as court clears way for Coupang probe

Coupang’s Korean dominance: double-edged sword for US investors

Coupang dispute raises stakes in Korea’s $350 bil. US investment talks

Coupang 可能面临韩国联邦交易委员会 (FTC) 在首尔更严格的审查，因为该监管机构已成立新的专案组，专门负责处理复杂的平台违规行为。此前，Coupang 已因折扣成本、搜索排名、供应商交易和外卖业务等多起监管纠纷而焦头烂额。FTC 尚未公布其首个调查对象，但官员和业内人士表示，Coupang 很可能成为最早一批被调查的对象。

美国联邦贸易委员会周四成立了一个由 40 名成员组成的重点调查规划局，负责处理重大平台和大型团伙案件。

Coupang 就其涉嫌将折扣成本转嫁给供应商的现场调查，向联邦贸易委员会提起诉讼。

首尔高等法院上个月驳回了 Coupang 暂停检查的请求，Coupang 于周一提出了进一步上诉。

2024 年，韩国联邦贸易委员会 (FTC) 因 Coupang 旗下自有品牌子公司 CPLB 涉嫌操纵搜索排名和员工评价，对 Coupang 处以 1628 亿韩元的罚款。

Coupang Eats 也因涉嫌对使用该平台的餐厅施加优惠待遇要求而受到美国联邦贸易委员会的调查。

发布于2026年10月2日下午3:58（韩国标准时间）

电商公司与反垄断监管机构的纠纷加剧

9月21日，公平交易委员会委员长朱炳基在世宗市政府大楼举行的新闻发布会上回答记者提问。（韩联社）

Coupang 正面临着更加严格的监管审查，因为公平交易委员会 (FTC) 已成立一个特别调查工作组，调查涉及主导平台的复杂违规行为，此举似乎是针对这家在美国上市的电子商务巨头。

美国联邦贸易委员会 (FTC) 于周四成立了由 40 名成员组成的“关键调查规划局”，将其现有的调查团队升级为局级组织，专门负责涉及平台、大型商业集团以及影响消费者和小企业的严重违规行为的重大案件。

新成立的这个机构正值Coupang成为联邦贸易委员会（FTC）审查最严格的对象之一之际。随着该公司不断挑战监管机构的调查和行动，双方的争议也扩展到搜索排名、供应商交易、折扣成本以及食品配送业务等领域。

美国联邦贸易委员会尚未确定其第一个调查目标，也没有消息证实 Coupang 将被指定为该特别工作组的第一个调查目标。

但该公司与监管机构日益加剧的对抗意味着此次发布会的时机异常敏感。Coupang 不再面临一系列孤立的调查，而是可能面临在一个更加一体化的执法框架下对其各种监管纠纷进行审查。

联邦贸易委员会主席朱炳基此前曾以 Coupang 为例，解释为何需要成立新机构，称平台案件越来越多地涉及多种类型的违规指控，而这些指控无法由单独的部门进行有效审查。

该特别工作组将不永久指派调查人员负责特定类型的案件，从而能够跨业务领域开展复杂的调查。

对于 Coupang 来说，这个时机很难被忽视。

目前，该公司正就联邦贸易委员会（FTC）对其涉嫌将折扣成本转嫁给供应商的现场调查提起诉讼。此前，Coupang拒绝配合调查，理由是FTC未提前七天通知。

上个月，首尔高等法院驳回了 Coupang 暂停检查的请求，为联邦贸易委员会恢复调查扫清了障碍。

2024年，一辆Coupang送货卡车停在首尔的物流中心。（韩联社）

Coupang 于周一提起进一步上诉，认为最高法院应该审查调查程序的合法性以及该公司的程序权利。

这场对抗也使联邦贸易委员会对那些试图利用法院禁令拖延调查的公司采取了更强硬的立场。

上个月，朱表示，Coupang调查的中断“令人遗憾”，该机构将审查其调查规则，以堵住允许公司通过法庭诉讼拖延现场检查的漏洞。

他还认为，调查失败可能会削弱联邦贸易委员会保护与大型零售商打交道的小企业的能力。

这场纠纷只是监管机构针对 Coupang 发起的更广泛监管行动中的一个方面。

2024年，韩国联邦交易委员会（FTC）对Coupang处以1628亿韩元（约合1.2亿美元）的罚款，原因是其自有品牌子公司CPLB涉嫌操纵搜索排名以提升自家产品排名，并利用员工评论进行推广。Coupang随后向法院提起诉讼，对处罚决定提出质疑。

Coupang Eats 还面临监管机构的调查，原因是其涉嫌对与该外卖平台合作的餐厅施加优惠待遇要求。

业内人士表示，此类案件的不断累积正是 Coupang 可能成为新工作组首批调查对象的原因。

“鉴于联邦贸易委员会主席公开批评了Coupang，业界正在密切关注Coupang是否会成为该监管机构新成立的特别工作组的首要目标，”一位业内人士表示。

“现在，特别工作组的调查人员可以同时处理多个业务领域的复杂案件，从而更容易审查来自单一平台公司的各种不公平做法，”该官员补充道。

美国联邦贸易委员会主席誓言“恢复正义”，法院为Coupang调查扫清障碍

Coupang在韩国的统治地位：对美国投资者来说是一把双刃剑

Coupang纠纷令韩国3500亿美元美韩投资谈判更加引人关注