5 days ago
FTC Chief Vows Justice as Court Clears Coupang Probe
South Korea’s antitrust agency wants to investigate Coupang, a large online shopping company.
The agency suspects Coupang may have made suppliers pay for some customer discounts.
Coupang did not cooperate with an inspection and asked a court to stop it.
A court first paused the inspection temporarily.
It later rejected Coupang’s request to stop the investigation.
The agency’s chief said the decision could protect small businesses and other vulnerable people.
Coupang also reported a large loss for the second quarter.
The company said fines connected to a major data breach contributed to that loss.
South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission plans to resume its stalled investigation into Coupang after a court rejected the company’s request to halt the probe.
FTC chief Ju Biung-ghi said the investigation concerns allegations that Coupang shifted discount costs onto suppliers.
Coupang previously refused to cooperate with the watchdog’s on-site inspection and sought judicial intervention.
Ju said the ruling supported the public interest, including economically vulnerable people and hundreds of thousands of small merchants.
Coupang reported an 865 billion won net loss in the second quarter, partly due to fines linked to a data breach affecting more than 37 million customers.
- Who
- South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, led by Ju Biung-ghi, and e-commerce company Coupang.
- What
- A court rejected Coupang’s request to halt the FTC’s investigation into alleged supplier-related discount practices, allowing the probe to resume.
- Where
- The investigation is being conducted in South Korea, with Ju speaking in Seoul.
- When
- The court rejected Coupang’s request last week; Ju Biung-ghi discussed the decision on Tuesday.
- Why
- The FTC is investigating allegations that Coupang shifted discount costs onto suppliers and imposed unfavorable terms on vendors.
FTC and public-interest view
Coupang’s legal position
Whether the probe should proceed
FTC and public-interest view
The FTC says resuming the investigation is necessary to examine possible harm to suppliers and protect economically vulnerable people and small merchants.
Coupang’s legal position
Coupang refused to cooperate with the on-site inspection and asked a court to suspend or halt the investigation.
Supplier treatment
FTC and public-interest view
The FTC is examining allegations that Coupang shifted discount costs onto suppliers and may have imposed unfavorable terms on vendors.
Coupang’s legal position
The articles report Coupang’s legal challenge but do not state the company’s substantive response to the supplier allegations.
Key facts
- Regulator
- South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC)
- FTC chief
- Ju Biung-ghi
- Company
- U.S.-listed e-commerce company Coupang
- Court decision
- A request to halt the investigation was rejected last week
- Reported quarterly loss
- 865 billion won, or about US$570 million
- Prior-year quarterly result
- 43.5 billion won net profit
- Data breach
- More than 37 million customers were affected in November 2025
Quotes
Ju Biung-ghi
Head of South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission
“It is a relief the judge handling the case ruled in favour of the public interest, including the rights of the economically vulnerable and hundreds of thousands of small merchants. We will continue to make efforts to restore justice undermined by the stalled probe into Coupang.”
thehansindia.com
“(Coupang) deals with various vendors, and the company could be subject to regulatory action if it has imposed unfavourable terms on them.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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