[2025 Audit] National Assembly Political Affairs Committee: "Legal Action Unavoidable if Coupang Chairman Kim Beom-seok Fails to Appear"

“If He Fails to Appear at the Comprehensive Audit on the 28th, Legal Action Will Be Taken”

The National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee announced on the 14th that it would consider legal action against Kim Beom-seok, Chairman of Coupang Inc., if he fails to appear at the comprehensive audit scheduled for the 28th, after having already stated his intention not to attend the parliamentary audit as a witness.

Yonhap News

At the Political Affairs Committee’s parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on the 13th, Yoon Han-hong, a committee member from the People Power Party, stated, “Chairman Kim is scheduled to appear tomorrow. If he does not attend, we will once again vote to require his attendance at the comprehensive audit,” adding, “If he still does not appear, I must say that we will have no choice but to pursue legal action.”

According to the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly, a witness who fails to appear before the National Assembly without a valid reason may be subject to imprisonment for up to three years or a fine ranging from 10 million won to 30 million won. Additionally, the committee may issue a resolution to serve a warrant of accompaniment and forcibly bring in the absent witness. If the person refuses to comply with the warrant or intentionally avoids receiving it, they may face up to five years in prison.

Committee members criticized Chairman Kim’s reason for nonattendance as unjustified. Lee Heonseung, a member of the People Power Party, remarked, “Issues related to online platforms are always present in the Fair Trade Commission’s major agendas, and Coupang holds a dominant position in the industry, being involved in these matters. We decided to summon him to the National Assembly to ask about various issues such as product bundling and settlement cycles, but refusing to attend simply because he is overseas is an act of disregarding the public.”

Lee further stated, “Chairman Kim has repeatedly refused the National Assembly’s requests for attendance. Even if he is a foreign national, Coupang is clearly an online distribution company operating in Korea, so this time he must appear before the National Assembly and present a clear position on the various issues.” He added, “In preparation for Chairman Kim’s absence, I am requesting Coupang CEO Park Daejoon as an additional witness.”

Shin Jang-sik, a member of the Rebuilding Korea Party, also commented, “Even the letter explaining his absence was insincere. Since there is no valid reason for his nonattendance, I urge the committee chair and party secretaries to consider issuing a warrant of accompaniment, and if he still does not appear, to pursue a formal complaint at the committee level. I once again ask that you ensure Chairman Kim is made to appear at the comprehensive audit.”