A Coupang center in Seoul [Yonhap News Photo]

Fifty-four members of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives, have urged the South Korean government to immediately cease discriminatory regulations against American companies doing business in Korea.

In a press release issued on the 21st (local time), the RSC announced that Rep. Michael Baumgartner led the effort to send a letter containing these demands to Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha in Washington.

In the letter, the lawmakers reaffirmed the importance of the Korea-U.S. economic partnership and national security alliance, stating, "We are concerned that the South Korean government is taking discriminatory and politically motivated actions against American companies."

They pointed out that a recent Korea-U.S. trade agreement included a clause in which the South Korean government agreed not to discriminate against or disadvantage American companies. They argued, "The South Korean government is disregarding its promises and continuing to disadvantage American companies, which is unacceptable."

The lawmakers also emphasized their particular concern about the "systematic targeting of American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta, and Coupang," as "these companies serve as important economic bridges between the two countries."

Specifically regarding Coupang, they noted that it "has been the largest source of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) into Korea over the past decade and currently sells billions of dollars worth of American goods and agricultural products to Korean consumers annually."

They added, "Unfortunately, the South Korean government has launched a government-wide attack on Coupang using a low-sensitivity information leak incident as a pretext," citing examples such as the review of business suspensions, raids on its Seoul office, punitive fines, and tax investigations.

RSC Chairman Rep. August Pfluger stated, "South Korea is a vital ally, and we expect them to fulfill their partnership obligations. Discriminatory actions against American companies can undermine our economic relationship and risk ceding ground to China."