[Alpha Biz= Cha Hye Young] South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) has launched a special tax investigation into e-commerce giant Coupang, following recent controversy over a personal data breach.

On Monday, officials from the Seoul Regional Tax Office’s Investigation Division 4 and the International Transactions Investigation Bureau conducted on-site inspections at Coupang’s Korea headquarters and its logistics subsidiary, Coupang Fulfillment Services. Around 150 investigators were dispatched to secure accounting and financial records.

Investigation Division 4 is responsible for non-routine probes involving serious issues such as alleged tax evasion, underscoring the exceptional nature of the audit. The involvement of the International Transactions Investigation Bureau indicates a focus on Coupang’s cross-border transactions.

According to industry sources, the tax authorities are closely examining Coupang’s overall transaction structure, including potential profit-shifting arrangements at the group level involving its U.S. parent company.

Market attention is now focused on how the investigation may affect Coupang’s governance, transparency, and regulatory risk profile.

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]