Coupang spent more than 300 million won to lobby the White House and others through a firm connected to U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to records the U.S. Senate released under the Lobbying Disclosure Act on the 15th, Coupang paid $250,000 (about 370 million won) to the lobbying firm Ballard Partners in the previous second quarter.
The lobbying targets were listed as the White House, the Executive Office of the President, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The lobbying issues included strengthening economic ties between the United States and its allies. Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) were cited.
Brian Ballard, the lobbyist who heads the firm, has wielded significant influence in Washington, D.C., since Trump's second term in office, due to a friendship with Trump that spans decades.
Suzie Wiles, the White House chief of staff known as one of Trump's closest confidants, and Pam Bondi, the first attorney general in Trump's second administration, are said to have previously worked at the firm.
However, in May last year, an incident reportedly left Trump disappointed with Ballard, prompting speculation that Ballard had become unwelcome at the White House.
Coupang has mounted a full-court lobbying press on the White House and federal lawmakers. On the 1st, a report from the House Judiciary Committee claimed the Korean government is treating Coupang discriminatorily.
In response, the Blue House countered, "We do not discriminate against corporations in their business activities based on nationality."