US politicians misunderstand Coupang as channel for American agricultural exports: trade minister

Many U.S. politicians mistakenly view Coupang as a key channel for exporting American agricultural products to Korea, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Thursday. His comments were made amid monthslong protests from American politicians who claim that Korean authorities have been treating the U.S.-headquartered e-commerce giant unfairly in regards to a massive data breach involving more than 33 million customers, giving a clue about why the issue has been mischaracterized as a trade dispute. Speaking at a press forum in central Seoul, the minister said some U.S. lawmakers had misunderstood the company’s role in the Korean market and the nature of the case. “Some members of the U.S. political community mistakenly view Coupang as a channel for U.S. exports of agricultural, fisheries and livestock products and as a means of reducing the trade deficit,” Kim said. “When I explain that Coupang is not viewed in Korea as a channel for importing U.S. products, but rather as a platform that imports inexpensive goods from neighboring countries such as China, they are surprised.” Kim said