90 Lawmakers from Ruling Bloc Send Joint Protest Letter to U.S. over 'Coupang Backlash'

In response to a letter sent by U.S. Republican members of the House of Representatives urging the Korean government to end what they described as crackdowns on American companies such as Coupang, 90 lawmakers from the broader ruling coalition in Korea sent a protest letter to the U.S. side condemning this action.

On April 28, Assemblyman Park Hongbae of the Democratic Party of Korea and others held a press conference at the National Assembly titled "Condemnation of U.S. Political Pressure on Korea's Judicial Sovereignty and Delivery of Protest Letter to the U.S. Ambassador to Korea." Through a protest letter addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, they stated, "Korean lawmakers express deep concern over reports that members of the U.S. House of Representatives conveyed demands regarding Coupang executives that could influence the actions of Korean judicial authorities, and that these demands were linked to Korea-U.S. diplomatic and security cooperation."

Yonhap News Agency

원본보기 아이콘

They emphasized, "Investigation and punishment for alleged crimes are inherent rights of a sovereign nation, and in all cases, must be conducted independently from outside pressure. We believe you will agree that demanding the exclusion of a specific individual from investigative or judicial procedures runs counter to international norms and the principles of the rule of law, and should never be permitted."

They further warned, "Linking issues critical to intergovernmental diplomatic or security cooperation to the personal legal status of a specific businessperson undermines trust between allies and could negatively affect the sound development of relations between the two countries."

In this context, they demanded: ▲ Full respect for Korea's judicial sovereignty and independent law enforcement; ▲ No linkage between demands concerning the judicial process for specific individuals and diplomatic or security cooperation; and ▲ Immediate cessation of undue pressure and demands.

Assemblyman Kim Namgeun of the Democratic Party of Korea stated, "Administrative or judicial procedures are the prerogative of a sovereign nation, and for the U.S. Congress or government to exert pressure on our government over the exercise of our judicial authority can be considered interference in domestic affairs and an infringement of judicial sovereignty." He added, "We plan to deliver the protest letter to the U.S. Embassy."

Not only members of the Democratic Party of Korea but also lawmakers from the broader ruling coalition took part in signing the protest letter. Lawmakers affiliated with the People Power Party did not add their names to the list.

Previously, on April 21 (local time), 54 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Ambassador Kang Kyungwha, stating that "the Korean government is adopting discriminatory regulatory measures targeting U.S. companies, while protecting domestic competitors in Korea."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.