Rogers Testifies Before U.S. Congress... Coupang Inc. Says "We Regret the Situation in Korea and Are Seeking a Resolution"

Head of Coupang Korea gives closed-door testimony before U.S. House
Testimony lasts about seven hours...remains silent on reporters' questions
Coupang parent company says it "hopes to serve as a bridge between the two countries"

Harold Rogers, head of Coupang Korea, appeared as a witness before the U.S. House of Representatives and gave closed-door testimony regarding the situation in Korea surrounding the massive personal data leak incident. Coupang Inc., Coupang's parent company, expressed regret over the situation in Korea that has led to testimony before Congress.

Rogers Harold, interim CEO of Coupang Korea (center), is entering the U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing room in Washington, D.C., on the 23rd (local time) to give closed-door testimony. Yonhap News

On the 23rd (local time), following CEO Rogers' testimony before the U.S. Congress, Coupang Inc. issued a statement in the name of Robert Porter, Chief Global Affairs Officer, saying, "We regret the situation in Korea that has resulted in today's listening session in the U.S. House of Representatives," adding, "We continue to work to find a constructive resolution."

The statement continued, "More broadly, we hope that Coupang can serve as a bridge between the United States and Korea," and added, "Through this, we hope to help improve economic relations between the two countries, strengthen the security alliance, promote trade and investment, and contribute to the interests of both nations."

On this day, CEO Rogers gave closed-door testimony for about seven hours until around 5 p.m. during the hearing. After finishing his testimony, he did not answer reporters' questions such as "What questions did the committee ask?", "How did you respond?", and "What were the committee's primary concerns?".

The hearing was convened by the Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust of the House Judiciary Committee. Earlier, in a subpoena sent to CEO Rogers, Jim Jordan, Republican Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Scott Fitzgerald, Chair of the Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, wrote, "Despite a recent trade agreement reached with the Trump administration in which the Korean government pledged to avoid discriminatory treatment of U.S. companies and the creation of unnecessary barriers, it has continued to carry out targeted attacks." They also argued, "The Korean government's efforts to single out Coupang and to seek the indictment of an American executive stand in direct contradiction to its recent commitments."

It is possible that CEO Rogers also appealed at the hearing that the Korean government has discriminated against and attempted to punish him and Coupang. Currently, CEO Rogers and Coupang are under police investigation in Korea over multiple allegations and suspicions, including downplaying the scale of the data leak, destruction of evidence, perjury before the National Assembly, and concealment of industrial accidents.

Some observers interpret this hearing as an extension of lobbying efforts aimed at shielding Coupang and pressuring the Korean government. As a U.S. company, Coupang has conducted extensive lobbying toward the U.S. Congress. Attention is also focusing on how this will affect Korea-U.S. trade relations in the current situation, which includes the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reciprocal tariffs are unlawful and President Donald Trump's attempts to impose new tariffs using alternative tools such as Sections 122 and 301 of the Trade Act.

However, the Korean government takes the position that this hearing in the U.S. Congress is not an issue that should escalate into a "diplomatic matter" between Korea and the United States, but rather that Congress, having been lobbied by Coupang, is handling the situation in a way that appears to pressure the Korean government.