US President Donald Trump's announcement to increase tariffs on Korean cars and medicines from 15% to 25% is reportedly linked to the Coupang issue. [Photos: Bloomberg News Agency, WSJ]

There are indications that the reason US President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs on Korean cars and medicines from 15% to 25% is related to the Coupang issue.

The US Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 27th (local time), citing sources, that Vice President JD Vance warned during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in Washington last week, "Please refrain from imposing sanctions on US tech companies such as Coupang."

According to the report, Vice President Vance's stance on the Coupang issue is that "South Korea's response to Coupang's large-scale data breach and other incidents is discriminatory. We must manage this mutually to eliminate misunderstandings," and that "the US is demanding substantive remedies regarding the South Korean government's treatment of tech companies like Coupang."

US investment firms holding shares in Coupang have also requested retaliatory measures from the US Trade Representative (USTR), claiming that the South Korean government is taking discriminatory actions.

Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, a member of the US House Judiciary Committee, also captured Trump's social media post and warned on social media X, "We will not tolerate unfair targeting of American companies like Coupang."

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (left) and US Vice President JD Vance. [Photo: Yonhap News Agency]

The previous day, the 26th, President Trump criticized the delay in passing legislation necessary for the South Korean government to implement trade agreements through his social media platform Truth Social and announced his intention to raise tariffs on Korean products, including cars, from 15% to 25%.

Following the WSJ report, the domestic opposition party is raising issues of responsibility for Prime Minister Kim.

After returning to Korea, Prime Minister Kim self-assessed his efforts by stating, "I clearly explained that there is no discrimination against US companies and that misunderstandings have been resolved," and "there were achievements such as establishing a hotline with Vice President Vance." However, the sentiment is that "ultimately, only Korea has been severely affected."

In response, the opposition party commented, "We are concerned about whether the Lee Jae-myung administration is handling foreign policy issues properly."

Some, in relation to religious persecution issues, have criticized, "The US has expressed concerns about South Korea's persecution of Christians, including the detention of pastors Son Hyun-bo and Jeong Kwang-hoon," and "The Lee Jae-myung administration is infringing upon the 'freedom of religion' stipulated in the Constitution."

Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, a member of the US House Judiciary Committee, captured Trump's social media post and warned on social media X, "We will not tolerate unfair targeting of American companies like Coupang." [Photo: X]

Reporter Im Yo-hee