E-commerce giant Coupang spent $250,000 lobbying the White House, the House of Representatives and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the second quarter through a firm with close ties to President Donald Trump.
According to a lobbying disclosure report filed on the Senate website, Florida-headquartered Ballard Partners received the sum for activities carried out from April 1 to June 30. The firm was founded by Brian Ballard and has employed former Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The activities concerned U.S. export promotion, international economic policy, investment flows and efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the United States and allies including South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Britain and the European Union.
The lobbying occurred after a July 1 interim report by the House Judiciary Committee accused South Korea of discriminatory attacks on Coupang and a White House official said the company was being singled out by President Lee Jae Myung's administration. South Korea's foreign ministry expressed regret, stating the report reflected Coupang's claims in a one-sided manner.
