Coupang Reports $1.09 Million U.S. Lobbying Spend, Says Focus
Remains Economic Investment and Job Creation
Coupang Inc. reported first-quarter U.S. lobbying expenditures this year of $1.09 million (about 1.6 billion won). (Source: U.S. Congress Lobbying Disclosure Act disclosure)
Coupang has directly rebutted allegations from some quarters that it pressured the Korean government through lobbying activities targeting the U.S. administration and Congress, calling them “clearly groundless.” It also drew a firm line against claims that it had been involved in discussions on pending South Korea-U.S. diplomatic and security issues, saying those claims were false.
In a statement released on April 24, Coupang said, “The claim that Coupang pressured the Korean government through lobbying of the U.S. administration and Congress is clearly untrue,” adding, “In particular, the claim that there were discussions related to security is an outright falsehood.”
Recently, some have alleged that follow-up consultations between South Korea and the United States in the diplomatic and security field, including nuclear-powered submarines, have been delayed due to the impact of Coupang’s lobbying in the United States. In response, Coupang explained that its activities involving the U.S. government were related to economic cooperation and expanded investment, and had no connection to security issues.
Citing its first-quarter 2026 report under the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act, Coupang stressed that “it includes matters related to bilateral economic cooperation such as expanded investment and trade with Korea, Taiwan and Japan, and the expansion of visas for Korean professionals, and contains no security-related matters whatsoever.”
According to the disclosure, Coupang listed as its main discussion items the expanded use of Coupang’s digital, distribution and logistics services by U.S. small businesses, large corporations and agricultural producers; expanded cross-border flows of trade and investment; and stronger economic and commercial cooperation with allied countries including Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union. It also included matters related to general business immigration policy and the “Partner with Korea Act.”
Coupang has also recently continued investments aimed at expanding AI and global commerce. The company said, “We are focusing on communication to promote AI technological innovation, investment and job creation, and the expansion of cross-border commerce with Korea, the United States and several other countries.” It added that its recent investment in the Korean-founded AI robotics company Contoro and expanded sourcing of products from overseas manufacturers are part of the same strategy.
Coupang reported first-quarter U.S. lobbying expenditures of $1.09 million (about 1.6 billion won). Coupang said, “Lobbying expenditures by major U.S. companies are more than 34 times higher than Coupang’s, and the amount is also lower compared with major Korean conglomerates.”
Jung Min-hee
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