On the 30th, National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Gwang-hyeon said, "If tax evasion allegations emerge against Coupang founder Kim Beom-suk (chair of the board at Coupang Inc.), we will add him as a related party and conduct a thorough review to the end."
Commissioner Lim appeared at a parliamentary hearing on "the Coupang security breach and personal information leak, unfair transaction practices, the reality of labor conditions, and measures to prevent recurrence" held that day.
The National Tax Service launched a special tax audit into Coupang on the 22nd. The Seoul Regional Tax Service's Investigation Bureau 4 and the International Transaction Investigation Bureau were deployed to the audit.
On the day, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Il-yeong asked Commissioner Lim, "Are you willing to punish Chair Kim Beom-suk for tax evasion through the Coupang tax audit?"
In response, Commissioner Lim said, "The Seoul office's Investigation Bureau 4 does not prejudge the scope of the tax audit or those surveyed." He added, "If allegations emerge, we will add (Chair Kim) as a related party and conduct a thorough review to the end."
Rep. Lee Hae-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party then asked Commissioner Lim, "Do you plan to cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service?" The question took into account that Coupang is a U.S.-based corporation and Kim is a U.S. citizen. Commissioner Lim said, "We will do as much as we can in areas where we can cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service."
Commissioner Lim said, "I understand that Coupang established a corporation in the United States for listing, but based on the consolidated financial statements, most of its sales occur domestically, and it is a company built by the Korean public," adding, "We will thoroughly verify whether it is fulfilling its legitimate tax obligations."