"Did Coupang's lobbying reach beyond the White House?" Trump threatens to scrap fact sheet, blaming Korean parliament

[Financial News] President Donald John Trump has sharply criticized the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and on the 27th abruptly announced a 25% punitive tariff on Korean-made automobiles and other products, fueling fears that a long‐anticipated worst‐case scenario is now unfolding. Observers note that senior officials at the White House had repeatedly pressed for a swift resolution of the situation involving U.S. company Coupang, Inc. after a parliamentary hearing in Seoul, suggesting the move may not be unrelated. The tariff bombshell came immediately after police signaled they would seek an arrest warrant for Coupang CEO Harold Rogers, who left for the United States and has yet to return.
Coupang, Inc. has hired a large number of close associates of President Trump, as well as former senior officials from the White House and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), and has used them as lobbyists. The company is believed to have assembled a lobbying team of more than 30 people capable of exerting influence in U.S. political circles.
Perhaps as a result, concerns over the Coupang, Inc. affair were raised even during a recent meeting in Washington between Prime Minister Kim Min-seok of the Republic of Korea and Vice President of the United States J. D. Vance. Yeo Han-koo, Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), also said he was briefed on worries about the Coupang, Inc. situation after recent meetings with U.S. political figures.
On the same day, President Trump wrote on his social media account, "The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea has failed to ratify the trade agreement reached between the leaders of South Korea and the United States," adding, "We will raise all reciprocal tariffs, including on automobiles, from 15% to 25%." This effectively rolls back the recent agreement between the leaders of South Korea and the United States, which had set tariffs at around 15%, to the previous 25% level. In substance, it amounts to scrapping the 15% tariff deal set out in the bilateral summit and the joint fact sheet. However, President Trump also stated, "We reached an excellent agreement with President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea," placing full blame on the parliament.
Some critics argue that the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and the government badly underestimated Coupang, Inc.'s lobbying power in the United States. Among the former White House officials hired by Coupang, Inc. is Rob Porter, who served as White House Chief of Staff during Trump's first term. Known in Washington as a powerful gatekeeper with extensive connections, he joined Coupang, Inc. as an external adviser in 2023 and was promoted to global chief policy officer in 2025.
Coupang, Inc. also brought on Alex Nelson Wong, who served as United States Deputy National Security Advisor under the Trump administration. Since 2021, he has spent four years as an executive at Coupang, Inc.'s Washington office, overseeing public affairs. Outside director Kevin M. Warsh previously served as a member of the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) Board of Governors. Other figures with ties to the White House or the executive branch who have joined Coupang, Inc. include Jeff Miller, a key fundraiser for the Trump campaign; Jonathan Hiller, who handled legislative affairs for Vice President Mike Pence; and Ashley Gunn, a Special Assistant to President Trump. They are reported to have taken part in Coupang, Inc.'s lobbying efforts targeting the U.S. government. Unlike in South Korea, lobbying is legal in the United States.
Shortly before President Trump announced the new tariffs, police signaled the possibility of a compulsory investigation of Coupang CEO Harold Rogers. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) notified Rogers that he was being summoned as a suspect. Because he has already ignored two previous summons, SMPA warned it would seek an arrest warrant if he fails to comply with a third. Bom Kim, chair of Coupang, Inc., has been reported to authorities on charges of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act and ordering the destruction of evidence, and the case is currently under police investigation.


rainman@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo Reporter