E-commerce giant Coupang spent about $3.6 million lobbying Washington in the first nine months of this year, while its political action committee steered more donations toward Democrats ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, federal filings showed Thursday.
Coupang reported $3.62 million in lobbying expenses through September in its filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, more than double the $1.69 million a year earlier. Its reports target the Executive Office of the President, the State and Commerce departments, the US Trade Representative and the Senate, citing the protection of US companies in Korea.
The surge breaks sharply from earlier years. Coupang’s annual lobbying bill hovered between $1.01 million and $1.55 million from 2021 through 2023. It then jumped to $3.87 million in 2024 and reached $2.27 million in 2025.
In separate filings with the Federal Election Commission, Coupang’s political action committee, Coupac, reported $185,000 in donations to lawmakers, party committees and other PACs through September, up 18 percent from about $156,000 a year earlier.
Democrats collected $102,000, up 45.7 percent from $70,000, and now draw 55 percent of the PAC’s giving. Republicans received $83,000, down from $86,478.
Coupac sent $32,500 to Democrats between July and September, a 62.5 percent jump from the same period last year, and $15,000 to Republicans.
The tilt tracks the electoral map, which reflects forecasters' predictions that Democrats could reclaim the House and possibly the Senate in two weeks.
On Sept. 30, Coupac gave $5,000 to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, its first donation to him this election cycle. It also gave $5,000 each to leadership PACs tied to Sen. Ron Wyden and Korean American Rep. Dave Min, and $2,500 to one linked to Rep. Marilyn Strickland, also Korean American.
Still, Coupac kept funding Republicans who have taken up Coupang’s cause.
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith and his PAC have received $20,000 since January 2025. Rep. Adrian Smith, who chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade and singled out Coupang at a Jan. 13 hearing, collected $10,000 last year.
On the House Judiciary Committee, which accused Seoul of discriminating against US firms in July, subcommittee chairman Scott Fitzgerald received $1,000 in January and Rep. Darrell Issa got $5,000 last November.
Coupang also hired outside lobbyists. Washington firms Continental Strategy and Williams & Jensen reported receiving $75,000 and $90,000 from Coupang in the third quarter. Alberto Martinez, Continental’s managing partner, previously served as chief of staff to now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
minmin@heraldcorp.com