Tariff Increase on South Korea Linked to Coupang Targeting

The House Judiciary Committee, under Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), stated on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s recent decision to increase tariffs on South Korea was prompted by the country’s targeting of U.S. businesses, particularly Coupang.

The committee commented, “This is what happens when you unfairly target American companies like Coupang.”

On Monday, President Trump revealed that tariffs on South Korea would rise from 15% to 25%. He pointed to South Korea’s lack of willingness to finalize a significant trade agreement between the two nations. In a post on Truth Social, he expressed:

Our trade agreements are essential to America. We have consistently moved to lower tariffs based on these agreements, and we expect the same from our partners.

South Korea’s parliament has not acted on our agreement. President Lee and I reached an important understanding for both countries on July 30, 2025, which I reaffirmed during my visit to South Korea on October 29, 2025. Why hasn’t the South Korean parliament approved it?

Because their legislature has not implemented a historic trade agreement, which they can control, I am therefore raising tariffs on South Korean automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and all other reciprocal tariffs from 15% to 25%. Thank you for your understanding.

This decision followed a report highlighting that two key investors in Coupang, South Korea’s second-largest private employer after Samsung, had requested the Trump administration investigate the South Korean government. The investors, Greenoaks and Altimeter, accused South Korea of a “witch hunt” against Coupang after a massive data breach that significantly impacted investors financially. Supporters of Coupang argue that the breach was exaggerated and that punitive measures were taken to benefit competition with local and Chinese firms.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok remarked that law enforcement should approach the company with “the same determination they use to wipe out the mafia.”

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) described the situation involving Coupang as “unprecedented persecution.”

Just imagine if Congress and the Trump administration threatened to prosecute Samsung and LG CEOs simply because they were successful in the U.S. market. This is the current climate for leaders worldwide.

Palantir founder Joe Lonsdale commented on X, suggesting that the South Korean government is making a serious error by following China’s lead and unlawfully targeting American companies to benefit major Chinese tech firms. He acknowledged the courage of investors like Neil and Greenoaks who are standing up for U.S. interests, even if it means taking action against foreign governments. He emphasized that South Korean President Lee must weigh the consequences for South Korean workers and trade relations against the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.

Trade with the United States must remain fair. We will not accept discrimination or bullying.

Lonsdale further noted the challenge of uncovering true narratives within South Korea’s mainstream media due to its limitations on freedom of speech compared to the U.S.