This article was published on July 31, 2025, at 2:17 p.m. on the ChosunBiz RM Report site.
Coupang, Korea's top e-commerce corporation, was indicted on May 1 for the 'algorithm manipulation' case. Following a record penalty surcharge of 162.8 billion won for violating antitrust laws, it is now facing criminal trial.
However, the trial for this case has not been held even once for three months. The first trial was scheduled for June 11, but it was postponed after Coupang requested, "We need time to review the records."
Later, the first trial date was set for June 25, but it was postponed again. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the Coupang case, made a request for postponement, which the court accepted. Consequently, the first trial has been deferred to October 15. It will be the first trial scheduled five and a half months after the indictment. Considering that the average time from indictment to the first trial is about three months, this is considerably delayed. The Eastern District Prosecutor's Office noted, "The request for postponement was made to adjust the schedule because the prosecutors' schedules did not align."
In response, legal experts say, "The personnel shortage likely resulted from two prosecutors from the Eastern District Prosecutor's Office being dispatched to the Special Prosecutors' Office for the insurrection, which has caused a staffing issue." The Eastern District Prosecutor's Office consists of one Director General and five prosecutors. Two of those prosecutors were dispatched to work in the Special Prosecutors' Office for the insurrection, and it is said that there was no subsequent replenishment.
A prosecutor familiar with the matter stated, "In complex cases like Coupang's, where legal disputes are expected, not only the trial prosecutor but also the investigative prosecutors who are well-acquainted with the case participate in the trial process," adding, "Currently, it is likely challenging for the current personnel of the Eastern District Prosecutor's Office to actively participate in the Coupang trial."
The 'algorithm manipulation' case against Coupang arises from allegations that Coupang unfairly manipulated search rankings to promote its products to the top of the 'Coupang ranking order' on its online shopping mall, thereby discriminating against other sellers.
This case is expected to see intense legal disputes during the trial process. The prosecution argues that Coupang violated antitrust laws by adjusting its internal algorithms to favor its products while discriminating against other sellers' products. In contrast, Coupang asserts that it is the responsibility of distributors to decide which products to display and where.
Meanwhile, with the simultaneous launch of the 'three major special investigations' — the insurrection special investigation, the Kim Keon-hee special investigation, and the Marine Corps special investigation — over 100 prosecutors have been dispatched from the prosecution. This is about half of the total number of prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, the largest in the country, which has about 200 prosecutors. Additionally, the insurrection special investigation and the Kim Keon-hee special investigation can operate for up to 170 days, while the Marine Corps special investigation can be active for up to 140 days.
A lawyer with a background in prosecution remarked, "Compared to the 20 prosecutors dispatched for the Choi Soon-sil special investigation in 2016, who operated for 120 days, the number of dispatched prosecutors and their operating duration for the current three major special investigations is much greater and longer." He added, "I've heard that not only the Eastern District Prosecutor's Office but also other district prosecutors' offices are facing similar personnel shortages."