Coupang's obstruction of Fair Trade Commission investigation; Rep. Lee Kang-il aims to close legal loopholes with 'Administrative Investigation Basic Act' amendment.
The representative stated that, in addition to activities related to historical justice and insurance, he is actively involved in the real economy.
The representative is deeply committed to this issue and has proposed related bills. Last week, a major incident occurred when the FTC visited Coupang to enforce the law, but was blocked and obstructed from conducting its investigation.
Although Coupang uses Korean as its primary language, it is criticized for not being a Korean company. The individual known as Kim Beom-jun is criticized for adopting unfavorable business practices, lobbying in the U.S., yet completely refusing to respond to the National Assembly's requests for investigation into unfair practices in Korea.
When the Fair Trade Commission of Korea went to investigate reports of unfair trade practices, Coupang blocked and obstructed the investigation. This is an example of exploiting deficiencies in existing laws to refuse investigation. Representative Lee Kang-il proposed a bill to fundamentally prevent such 'legal eels' from escaping. This emphasizes the necessity of supplementary legislation to the Administrative Investigation Basic Act to prevent investigation delays and potential evidence destruction by large corporations.
This is because evidence for unfair trade practices, recorded on computers, is very easy to manipulate and destroy. Therefore, it is almost impossible to secure evidence without collecting it by surprise.
The existing Administrative Investigation Basic Act stipulated a one-week prior notice to protect those under investigation, but this was abused as a means to obstruct investigations, despite an exception clause for cases where there was a risk of evidence destruction.
There were inconsistencies between the Administrative Investigation Basic Act and other laws. Therefore, the amendment explicitly lists relevant laws within the Administrative Investigation Basic Act, stating that investigations can proceed immediately without exception when there is a risk of evidence destruction. This bill is not easy for the People Power Party to oppose, and it is considered highly likely to pass given public sentiment.
The host referred to this bill as the 'Coupang Prevention Act,' but Representative Lee Kang-il believes this alone will not be enough to prevent Coupang. He states that stronger regulations are needed, and the 'Online Platform Act' being promoted by the National Assembly is an attempt to regulate all online platform operators. He explains that if this law is not enacted, self-employed individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea will face significant difficulties.
Coupang, in particular, is influencing U.S. political and business circles to continuously send messages of retaliation against unfair trade practices. In response, Representative Lee Kang-il's side is exploring various indirect ways to regulate through universal laws, instead of pushing the Online Platform Act directly.
Even with fast-tracking, it fundamentally takes at least six months to introduce, discuss, fast-track, and finalize a bill. Concerns are raised that during this period, the damage to small business owners could continue to accumulate.
With a new, passionate party leader, there are expectations that the bill's advancement will gain momentum. Representative Lee Kang-il hopes this reform drive proceeds quickly. He believes that while friction during reform efforts might currently lead to a drop in approval ratings, it is the time to resolutely do what needs to be done.
The National Assembly or parliament was born as a system where disputes are resolved wisely through words and writing, instead of weapons or fists. He urged that internal party disputes should also be understood as a process for a better tomorrow.
He positively assesses that while other parties might split over such conflicts, the Democratic Party can fight within the same framework. This is seen as a process of the party properly growing, with expectations for better outcomes in the future.
He is optimistic that the Democratic Party can overcome it by addressing the issues quickly now, rather than waiting for them to explode a year later. Since there are no elections currently, he emphasizes the importance of proactively pursuing legislative measures to realize historical justice.
He believes that the current decline in approval ratings should be addressed quickly and cleanly before it affects next year's general election. He states that by working sincerely during the recovery period, approval ratings can rebound. Representative Lee Kang-il expressed gratitude for taking the time to appear despite his busy schedule.
Representative Lee Kang-il concluded the interview by promising to do so.
He explained that democracy develops through contention, and the National Assembly embraces this process as a forum for discussion. He emphasized that internal party conflicts are also a process for a better tomorrow, asking for the public's understanding.
The host expressed gratitude and looked forward to the next meeting.
Answers come from the transcript, with the exact spot cited.
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