S. Korea reviewing reply to US Republican lawmakers' letter on Coupang probe

SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Tuesday it is reviewing sending a reply to a letter from U.S. Republican lawmakers calling for an end to what they described as discriminatory regulations against Coupang and other American companies. Last week, 54 Republican members of the U.S. House affiliated with the Republican Study Committee (RSC) released a letter they sent to South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, in which they urged Seoul to halt what they called unfair treatment of U.S. firms, including Coupang, amid an ongoing probe here into a massive data breach affecting more than 33 million users. "We are in consultations with relevant ministries regarding a response," ministry spokesperson Park Il told a press briefing. "We have been explaining to the U.S. administration and Congress that investigations and measures involving Coupang are being carried out in accordance with domestic laws and due procedures." Any potential reply is expected to include detailed explanations of legal procedures, as well as the seriousness and scale of the personal data leak incident involving Coupang. A ministry official told reporters that even prior to the letter from U.S. Republicans, some congressional offices had sent similar messages to the South Korean side, to which the government had responded or provided explanations through in-person visits and other means. "We will further enhance our outreach to ensure our position is clearly understood," the official added.