South Korea's National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee expressed regret over a U.S. House Judiciary Committee report that assessed a Coupang hearing as a case of "discrimination against a U.S. company" and sent a protest letter.

Committee Chair Song Ki-heon (송기헌) of the Democratic Party, representing Wonju in Gangwon province, sent the letter on Aug. 4 to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. It was co-signed by 35 lawmakers, including current committee members and legislators who attended the Coupang hearing at the time.

In the letter, the committee said the U.S. House Judiciary Committee report failed to sufficiently capture the hearing’s purpose and procedures while reflecting a specific company’s claims to a significant extent.

It said the joint Coupang hearing was a legally convened meeting under Article 63 of the National Assembly Act. It described the hearing as a normal parliamentary activity carried out jointly by multiple standing committees to address issues spanning several committees, including personal data leaks, consumer protection, unfair trade and working conditions.

Song said the hearing proceeded under legal procedures to confirm the circumstances of a personal data leak incident and the company’s response, and to discuss measures to prevent a recurrence. He said the protest letter conveyed the facts about the hearing’s purpose and procedures and urged that the relevant content be accurately reflected in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee report.