Prime Minister Kim: "Clearly Stated to U.S. Vice President Vance That There Was No Discrimination Against Coupang"

50-Minute Meeting with U.S. Vice President at the White House
Vance Raises Coupang Issue First During White House Talks
"Vance Nods After Receiving English Documents"
In Response to Vance’s Request for Advice on North Korea Relations
"U.S. Spe

Prime Minister Kim Minseok announced that he held talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the 23rd (local time), during which they discussed key issues such as the Coupang matter and North Korea-U.S. relations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Kim, who is currently visiting the United States, held a meeting with correspondents at the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. that day and provided an explanation regarding his meeting with Vice President Vance at the White House.

Regarding the Coupang issue, which has caused increasing dissatisfaction and misunderstandings among U.S. political and business circles, Prime Minister Kim stated, "Vice President Vance fully understands the unique circumstances of Coupang, an American company, operating in Korea, and he specifically inquired about what exactly the problems are." He continued, "(In response, I explained that) there was a delay in resolving the situation where the personal information of a significant portion of the population was leaked, and furthermore, there have recently been groundless accusations directed at President Lee Jaemyung and myself."

Prime Minister Kim Minseok shakes hands with Vice President JD Vance at the White House in Washington DC on the 23rd (local time) before their meeting. January 24, 2026. [Photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office]

The 'groundless accusations' from Coupang against President Lee and himself, as mentioned by Prime Minister Kim, refer to the fact that two U.S. investment firms holding shares in Coupang requested the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to take action regarding the Korean government's response to Coupang in a press release issued the previous day. These firms also claimed, "Prime Minister Kim urged regulatory authorities to approach the Coupang data breach case with the same determination as when rooting out the mafia."

Prime Minister Kim stated in response, "The very act of quoting me as if I had specifically ordered a discriminatory or excessively strong investigation into Coupang is completely baseless, and I proved this by releasing the full transcript of my remarks at the time. I translated our press release into English and delivered it to Vice President Vance."

Prime Minister Kim further explained, "I made it clear that there was no discriminatory treatment of American companies regarding the Coupang issue, and Vice President Vance said he assumed there must have been some legal issue under the Korean system and expressed his understanding." He added, "Vice President Vance requested that we manage this matter well to prevent misunderstandings between the two governments and to ensure the situation does not escalate, and I agreed with him."

Prime Minister Kim also addressed the case of Pastor Son Hyunbo of Saegero Church in Busan, who has been indicted and detained on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, saying, "(Vice President Vance) mentioned that there are concerns among some circles in the United States and expressed curiosity about the specific circumstances. I explained that, unlike the United States, Korea has a strict separation between politics and religion, and that there is an investigation into violations of election law."

He continued, "Vice President Vance, on the premise of respecting the Korean system, also requested that this issue be managed well to avoid misunderstandings, and I expressed my strong agreement."

Prime Minister Kim also stated, "Vice President Vance asked, 'What would be the best approach for the United States, which is willing to improve relations with Chairman Kim Jong Un and North Korea?' I responded with two main points. First, I said that only President Donald Trump has both the willingness and the ability to improve relations. Second, regardless of who it is-whether Vice President Vance or not-expanding the role of the current U.S. special envoy and sending an envoy to North Korea could be one possible approach."

Prime Minister Kim reported that the meeting with Vice President Vance lasted 50 minutes, which was 10 minutes longer than the originally planned 40 minutes.

Additionally, Prime Minister Kim said that both sides exchanged direct phone numbers to establish a 'hotline,' and that he extended an invitation for Vice President Vance to visit Korea.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Kim also brought up Korea's interests regarding the joint fact sheet from the recent summit between the two countries, including Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation, the construction of nuclear-powered submarines in Korea, uranium enrichment, and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. He said that Vice President Vance also expressed strong agreement.