Coupang Hearing Without Bom Kim... Lee Jun-seok: “Google and Amazon CEOs Attend U.S. Hearings Too”

[Financial News] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, responded to concerns raised by some in the United States over potential regulations on Coupang, stating, "What South Korea is asking for is simply the faithful compliance with existing laws."
On the 30th, Lee wrote on his Facebook account, "Recently, Robert C. O'Brien, former National Security Advisor in the first Donald Trump administration, expressed concerns that South Korea's regulations on Coupang could act as trade barriers."
Lee noted, "When the United States Congress summoned the CEO of TikTok for a hearing in 2023, almost no one simply labeled it as 'platform regulation.' The U.S. treated the issue as a matter of data sovereignty for its citizens and, furthermore, as a core national security agenda."
He continued, "Today, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is also seeking to uncover the truth behind the massive personal data leak at Coupang. This is not a measure targeting the market dominance of a specific platform," adding, "It is a fundamental question about fulfilling legal responsibilities under the Personal Information Protection Act and how to protect the data of tens of millions of citizens."
On this day, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea began a joint hearing on the Coupang incident, even though key witnesses such as Bom Kim did not appear. The hearing continued for a second day until the 31st.
Lee also expressed concern, stating, "What is even more troubling is that this data breach occurred through internal system access by an employee of Chinese nationality. This is not just a problem for South Korea," and argued, "The threat of data leaks originating from China and insider security risks are challenges that both South Korea and the United States must address together."
He further explained, "The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea's rigorous review of this matter is not a regulatory offensive against any particular country, but rather a responsible measure to strengthen the data security systems of both South Korea and the United States."
Lee also remarked, "This hearing could be an opportunity, not a crisis, for Coupang. By transparently explaining the extent of the damage to its primary users—the people of South Korea—and presenting measures to prevent recurrence, the company can use this as a chance to restore consumer trust."
He also delivered a message to Coupang's management.
Lee emphasized, "Key executives of global big tech companies—such as Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon—have all personally attended hearings before the United States Congress and answered lawmakers' questions for hours. Coupang's management should take these precedents into account and stand before the National Assembly and the public with a sense of responsibility."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter