A grab from Coupang's website
SEOUL, January 25 (AJP) - E-commerce giant Coupang stressed once again that it is a U.S. company.
The top of its browser tab briefly displayed "Coupang: US Tech Company Redefining Global Commerce" on Saturday before returning to the previous version, though some web browsers were still displaying it.
The tab now again displays its previous promotional message in Korean, highlighting its fast "rocket" delivery service as well as membership benefits and discounts.
The move came just a day after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is currently visiting the U.S., met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the White House in Washington.
During the meeting, Vance reportedly asked about details of the difficulties Coupang faces that may be caused by regulatory differences. Kim tried to clarify the misunderstanding, saying there was no discrimination against Coupang in the investigation into its massive data breach, dismissing allegations of "unfair treatment" raised by two American investors.
Greenoaks and Altimeter Capital, the two largest U.S. shareholders of the New York-listed company, requested earlier in the week that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) launch an investigation into the South Korean government's handling of Coupang.
Coupang's emphasis on being a "U.S. tech company" is widely interpreted as a strategic move to distance itself from regulatory obligations and other legal responsibilities in South Korea.
But criticism may still be hard to avoid because Coupang has previously emphasized that it is a "South Korean company." In July 2019, Coupang said it was founded and grew in South Korea, runs most of its business here, and pays annual labor costs totaling 1 trillion won (about US$850 million) to South Koreans.
The top of its browser tab briefly displayed "Coupang: US Tech Company Redefining Global Commerce" on Saturday before returning to the previous version, though some web browsers were still displaying it.
The tab now again displays its previous promotional message in Korean, highlighting its fast "rocket" delivery service as well as membership benefits and discounts.
The move came just a day after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is currently visiting the U.S., met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the White House in Washington.
During the meeting, Vance reportedly asked about details of the difficulties Coupang faces that may be caused by regulatory differences. Kim tried to clarify the misunderstanding, saying there was no discrimination against Coupang in the investigation into its massive data breach, dismissing allegations of "unfair treatment" raised by two American investors.
Greenoaks and Altimeter Capital, the two largest U.S. shareholders of the New York-listed company, requested earlier in the week that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) launch an investigation into the South Korean government's handling of Coupang.
Coupang's emphasis on being a "U.S. tech company" is widely interpreted as a strategic move to distance itself from regulatory obligations and other legal responsibilities in South Korea.
But criticism may still be hard to avoid because Coupang has previously emphasized that it is a "South Korean company." In July 2019, Coupang said it was founded and grew in South Korea, runs most of its business here, and pays annual labor costs totaling 1 trillion won (about US$850 million) to South Koreans.
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