Jan 23 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance expressed hope that pressure over U.S.-listed e-commerce company Coupang stemming from a mass data leak could be resolved, South Korea Prime Minister Kim Min-seok was quoted as saying by media.
Kim is visiting the U.S. to meet senior officials and lawmakers and discuss matters including the implementation of a wide-reaching trade and security deal agreed in November.
Kim said he and Vance also discussed on Friday how Washington could improve ties with North Korea and suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump consider sending a special envoy to Pyongyang, Yonhap news and other media said.
Kim was speaking to South Korean reporters in Washington. His office in Seoul could not be immediately reached for confirmation.
Some U.S. lawmakers and investors have accused the South Korean government of unfairly targeting Coupang, which generates most of its revenue in Korea.
In November, Coupang disclosed that personal data for more than 33 million customers were compromised, triggering a backlash from South Korean lawmakers and the public and prompting a wide-ranging investigation and lawsuits against the company.
“Vice President Vance requested that the issue be managed well by the two governments to avoid misunderstanding and escalation,” Kim was quoted as saying by Yonhap.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met three times during the U.S. president’s first term but Pyongyang has not directly responded to renewed calls from Washington to resume dialogue.
(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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