Islam Uddin
28 April 2026•Update: 28 April 2026
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for "healthy" ties and mutual respect in resolving issues with close allies amid a tiff with the US over a probe into an e-commerce giant.
He made the remarks at a cabinet meeting without elaborating further, amid tensions with Washington over a data breach at Coupang, a US-listed e-commerce firm, and reports that Kusong may host a uranium enrichment site, according to Yonhap News Agency.
"(We) need the wisdom to build healthy, future-oriented relations with traditional allies, while resolving pending issues based on mutual respect, common sense and principles," he said.
Last year, South Korean authorities launched a probe against the e-commerce firm Coupang and transactions linked to its US headquarters after the company revealed that the personal information of 33.7 million customers had been compromised, including names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery information.
Recently, US lobbying reports revealed that Coupang has spent more than $1 million this year alone on lobbying activities in the United States, including efforts involving the White House and Congress, since its massive data leak scandal in S.Korea erupted in November 2025, according to Korean JoongAng Daily.
Disclosure filings show the US-listed firm has engaged multiple government bodies, raising concerns in South Korea about potential impacts on ties with Washington.
On Tuesday, around 90 lawmakers in South Korea pushed back against what they described as US pressure regarding the investigation into Coupang, calling it interference in domestic legal matters.
A group of legislators announced they would submit a formal protest to the US embassy in Seoul, arguing that the probe should proceed without external influence.
The response comes after dozens of US Republican lawmakers raised concerns that the investigation into a major data breach unfairly targets the US-listed company.
