South Korean Antitrust Chief Signals Resumption of Coupang Supplier Probe

South Korea’s antitrust regulator has signaled that it will resume an investigation into e-commerce company Coupang after a court rejected the company’s request to stop an on-site inspection.

Fair Trade Commission Chairman Ju Biung-ghi said Tuesday that the agency would work to restore justice following the ruling, which removed a legal obstacle that had temporarily stalled the inquiry. He made the comments in an interview with local radio broadcaster CBS.

The investigation concerns allegations that Coupang shifted the cost of discounts offered to customers onto suppliers. The company refused to cooperate with the FTC’s on-site inspection last month and asked a court to suspend the process. A court initially granted a temporary suspension, but last week rejected Coupang’s request to halt the investigation.

Ju said a company that deals with numerous vendors could face regulatory action if it imposes unfavorable terms on them. He welcomed the ruling as serving the public interest, including the rights of economically vulnerable parties and hundreds of thousands of small merchants. His remarks indicate that the commission views the case as having consequences beyond the immediate dispute over its inspection authority.

The court decision does not itself resolve the underlying allegations. Instead, it allows the watchdog to continue gathering information and assessing whether Coupang’s dealings with suppliers violated competition or fair-trade rules. No final regulatory finding or penalty was announced in connection with the resumed inquiry.

The sequence of events also highlights the procedural contest between a major online platform and the agency responsible for policing business practices. Coupang’s court request interrupted the inspection, while the latest ruling restored the FTC’s ability to proceed. The next phase will center on the evidence collected by the commission and whether that evidence supports enforcement action.

Ju had previously described the court-related disruption of the investigation as regrettable during a press conference earlier this month. His latest comments reinforce the agency’s intention to restart the probe rather than abandon it after the delay.

Coupang is listed in the United States but operates one of South Korea’s largest e-commerce platforms. The investigation places renewed attention on how discount programs are funded and how costs are allocated between large retail platforms and the businesses that supply goods through them. For now, the matter remains an investigation, and the allegations have not been established as violations.