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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] Lawmakers from South Korea’s Democratic Party of Korea plan to deliver a joint protest letter to the U.S. Embassy on the 28th, condemning what they describe as a violation of judicial sovereignty following a letter from U.S. Republican lawmakers alleging discriminatory treatment against Coupang.
The protest letter, signed by 88 lawmakers from the Democratic Party and other pro-government parties, comes in response to a separate letter sent on April 21 (local time) by 54 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives to South Korea’s ambassador to the United States.
According to lawmakers including Park Hong-bae and Kim Nam-geun, the U.S. government had requested guarantees for the personal safety of Coupang Chairman Kim Bom-suk, warning that failure to comply could lead to a suspension of high-level bilateral consultations. The lawmakers argued that linking an individual business leader’s legal risks to intergovernmental negotiations constitutes an unprecedented infringement on judicial sovereignty.
They also criticized the administration of Donald Trump for allegedly tying ongoing security-related discussions—such as agreements on nuclear-powered submarines and uranium enrichment rights—to the Coupang issue.
The Democratic Party warned that accepting diplomatic pressure over an ongoing investigation could set a precedent for multinational corporations to evade domestic legal processes through foreign government intervention, potentially undermining labor rights and fair market order in Korea.
The lawmakers plan to hold a press conference before formally submitting the protest letter to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
