[COVER STORY] Coupang issue becomes bellwether for Korea's treatment of US firms: ex-AMCHAM chief

Korea risks damaging its economic ties with the United States, as perceived discrimination against American companies, most prominently Coupang, fuels a growing backlash in Washington that U.S. firms are being unfairly targeted, said Tami Overby, a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM). “Many American observers increasingly see Korea's treatment of Coupang as a bellwether for how it treats successful American firms operating in its market,” Overby said Monday in a written interview with The Korea Times. After nearly four decades of observing Korea-U.S. economic ties, Overby said Washington is increasingly doubting whether Seoul remains committed to the principle of nondiscriminatory treatment for American businesses. She cautioned that mounting regulatory disputes could erode the trust underpinning bilateral economic cooperation at a critical time when the two countries are negotiating major investment commitments and U.S. tariffs. “Credibility depends not on statements but on outcomes,” she said, arguing that Korean authorities must demonstrate t