Coupang’s interim CEO Harold Rogers, center, enters a conference hall at the U.S. House Judiciary Committee building in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). Yonhap
Coupang interim CEO Harold Rogers’ congressional deposition is prompting concerns that Washington could use his testimony as grounds for a trade investigation into Seoul by claiming “unfair” treatment of the U.S.-based firm, potentially setting the stage for higher tariffs on Korean products.
Rogers appeared for a closed-door deposition before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Monday (local time), and testified about his treatment during inquiries by the Korean government into the firm’s massive data breach scandal.
The testimony came at a sensitive juncture in the two countries’ trade relations, as the Donald Trump administration explores alternative tariff tools following the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down its so-called “reciprocal” tariff measures as unlawful.
One of the tools is an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act, which enables the Trump administration to impose tariffs or other trade sanctions once it finds its trading partners’ practices unreasonable or discriminatory against U.S. commerce.
Details of Rogers’ seven-hour testimony remain unknown, but he is widely expected to have answered questions from the committee members about how Korean lawmakers and police treated him during parliamentary hearings and summonses. Earlier, the committee described Korea’s investigation into Coupang as a “discriminatory attack” on American tech firms.
Rogers declined to respond to any questions from reporters following the deposition.
The committee claimed the Korean authorities unfairly targeted Coupang and moved to possibly prosecute the U.S. citizen, adding that the actions run counter to the latest trade agreement between Seoul and Washington.
Coupang's interim CEO Harold Rogers, left, leaves after a deposition before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). Yonhap
Rogers and Coupang are suspected of minimizing the scale of the firm’s data breach and destroying relevant evidence. Korean authorities suspect that the personal information of more than 33 million customers was compromised, while Coupang claims the number of affected customers is only around 3,000. Rogers was also questioned by police about perjury allegations regarding his comments during a National Assembly hearing in December last year.
Source: Korea Times News
