“미국 뒷배 믿나”…쿠팡 ‘공정위 현장조사’ 초유의 거부에 업계 술렁

Coupang rejected the Fair Trade Commission's on-site investigation into allegations of violating the Large-Scale Distribution Act, sparking industry uncertainty. The business community is closely watching how this incident may affect the fair trade investigation process and companies' responses. Industry insiders expressed disbelief at Coupang's approach, calling it "something hard to imagine."

One executive commented, "The notion of a company being able to reject on-site investigations by Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has never crossed my mind." They suggested that refusing the investigation implies the company is hiding many damning pieces of evidence. Given the FTC's influence and stature, Coupang's reaction appears unprecedented.

Another enterprise representative noted, "While there are cases where companies engage in legal battles with the FTC over investigations, challenging the very act of a FTC analyst entering the scene is a different matter altogether." The motivation behind Coupang's decision appears to be confidence based on American government pressure and lobbying in the United States.

One foreign-owned business insider said, "Unless there is no major American ally or support, a typical foreign company in Korea would not be able to take such an extreme measure against the Korean regulatory authorities." The situation is feared to set a precedent that could render future administrative oversight by administrative agencies ineffective.

Another industry insider warned, "If other businesses follow Coupang's lead, the market surveillance function of administrative agencies may weaken." The FTC had launched the on-site investigation to check if Coupang had improperly transferred pricing costs for customized coupons to its suppliers. Coupang refused the investigation, citing failure to provide seven days' notice as required by the Administrative Investigation Basic Act.

The FTC stopped the investigation on September 24th after rejecting Coupang's request to nullify its decision. Coupang also filed a lawsuit challenging the FTC's on-site investigation decision.