South Korea Says US Trade Friction Unrelated to Coupang Probe

The South Korean government has stated that the ongoing investigation into a data breach at the e-commerce company Coupang Inc. is unrelated to the recent threat by former US President Donald Trump to raise tariffs on goods from South Korea, a close US ally. The South Korean Foreign Minister emphasized that the two issues are entirely separate and should not be conflated. The investigation into the Coupang data breach is a domestic matter, while the potential tariff hike is part of broader trade tensions between the US and its trading partners. The government has assured that it is committed to resolving the Coupang data breach issue through a thorough and impartial investigation, without any external political considerations. Meanwhile, it remains engaged in ongoing discussions with the US on trade and economic matters, aiming to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.