U.S. Embassy 'closely monitoring' situation on complaint against Coupang interim CEO

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul said it is “closely monitoring related developments” regarding the National Assembly’s decision to file a complaint against Harold Rogers, a U.S. citizen and interim CEO of e-commerce company Coupang’s Korean operation.

Harold Rogers, interim Coupang CEO, speaks at the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee in western Seoul on Dec. 31, 2025. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul said it is “closely monitoring related developments” regarding the National Assembly’s decision to file a complaint against Harold Rogers, a U.S. citizen and interim CEO of e-commerce company Coupang’s Korean operation.

In response to an inquiry from the JoongAng Ilbo, the embassy said Friday, “We are aware of the situation.”

On Wednesday, the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee voted to file complaints against seven current and former Coupang executives — including Coupang Inc. Chairman Bom Kim and Rogers — on charges of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly.

The committee decided to apply charges of failure to appear under the Act to Kim, Coupang Vice President Kim Yoo-seok and former CEO Kang Han-seung for not attending a parliamentary hearing. Rogers, along with former CEO Park Dae-jun, Vice President Cho Yong-woo and auditor Yoon Hye-young, will be reported for alleged perjury and related violations under the same law.

In diplomatic circles, the phrase “closely monitoring related developments” is commonly used to signal attention to the sensitivity and potential ramifications of an issue.

Harold Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang, answers questions from lawmakers during a hearing on the e-commerce giant's massive data leak and other practices at the National Assembly building in western Seoul on Dec. 31, 2025. [YONHAP]

While it does not constitute an explicit expression of concern, it may be interpreted as indicating that the embassy is carefully tracking how the National Assembly’s complaint against Rogers will unfold.

Coupang has been on a U.S.-focused public opinion campaign, suggesting it has been subjected to unfair criticism following the personal data breach incident. In the United States, concerns have reportedly been raised over the National Assembly summoning and filing criminal complaints against a U.S. citizen over allegations that have not yet been legally confirmed.

The National Assembly’s decision to file a complaint against Rogers was made at the request of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS asked the Assembly to report Rogers for perjury, calling his claim during a recent hearing on Tuesday — that he investigated the data breach incident under NIS instructions — “clearly false.”

Coupang maintains that it conducted an internal investigation at the NIS’s request, while the NIS says it did not issue any directive but merely engaged in “working-level consultations.” The agency explained that it viewed the large-scale personal data breach involving a foreign national as a national security concern and conducted consultations for the purpose of collecting and analyzing relevant information.

BY PARK HYUN-JU [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]