Former Trump Adviser Slams South Korean Probe of Coupang Over Data Leak

O'Brien condemns Korean parliament's Coupang probe – Robert O'Brien, who served as national security adviser under former President Donald Trump, posted on X labeling the National Assembly’s scrutiny of e‑commerce giant Coupang as “aggressive targeting.” He framed the move as potentially harmful to U.S. corporate interests in South Korea [1].

He urges coordinated U.S. response to protect firms – In the same post, O'Brien called for a “strong, coordinated U.S. response” to safeguard fair treatment of American companies and to maintain strategic balance against China’s growing economic influence in the sector [1].

Warns of possible KFTC discriminatory measures – O'Brien warned that the Assembly’s actions could lead the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) to impose further discriminatory measures and broader regulatory barriers toward U.S. firms [1].

Links criticism to Trump’s trade‑rebalance agenda – He noted that President Trump had worked to “rebalance” the trade relationship with South Korea and said it would be “very unfortunate” if Korea undermines those efforts by targeting U.S. tech firms [1].

Coupang data breach exposed 33.7 million customers – The company disclosed last month that personal data—including names, phone numbers, email addresses and other details—of 33.7 million users was leaked, prompting intense scrutiny from Korean regulators and lawmakers [1].

Photo shows O'Brien at 2024 Washington forum – An image taken on Oct. 1, 2024 depicts O'Brien speaking during a Washington forum, illustrating his continued public engagement on security and trade issues [1].