Washington: E-commerce giant Coupang Inc. spent US$250,000 lobbying the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the second quarter of the year through a firm with close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, a lobbying disclosure report showed Wednesday. According to Yonhap News Agency, Ballard Partners, a Trump-linked lobbying firm, filed a report on the Senate website for Lobbying Disclosure Act reports. The report detailed that the firm received the money for lobbying activities on behalf of Coupang from April 1 to June 30. These lobbying actions were initiated following criticisms from a House Judiciary Committee report and a White House official, who labeled South Korea's regulatory probes into Coupang's substantial data leak as "discriminatory," amid efforts from Seoul to ensure that the issue would not affect alliance cooperation. The report highlighted that Ballard Partners' lobbying efforts were focused on matters related to U.S. export promot ion, international economic policy, investment flows, and bolstering commercial ties between the United States and its allies, including countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Britain, and the European Union. Ballard Partners, founded by influential lobbyist Brian Ballard, is headquartered in Florida and is recognized for its strong connections to Trump. The firm has reportedly employed former Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. On July 1, the House Judiciary Committee released an interim staff report accusing South Korea of "discriminatory attacks" on Coupang and other American companies, alleging that the Asian country's treatment of them contravenes last year's bilateral trade deal. Following this, a White House official voiced concerns that Coupang is being "singled out" by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration, describing the targeting of the U.S.-listed firm as "discriminatory." In response, South Korea's foreign ministry expressed regret over the House committee report, stating that it seems to reflect Coupang's claims in a "one-sided" fashion and does not incorporate Seoul's viewpoint or the "factual information" it has provided to the committee.
