Coupang—Coupang refused Korea Fair Trade Commission probe into shifting price-matching coupon costs onto suppliers, prompting expanded 10-year data raid

South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) made four attempts between August 19-24, 2026 to investigate allegations that Coupang's automatic price-matching coupon (PMC) system shifted discount costs onto suppliers by deducting them from supplier settlement payments while leaving listed prices unchanged, a possible violation of the Large Retail Business Act. Coupang refused to cooperate, citing lack of prior notice -- the first time a Large Retail Business Act investigation was derailed by company resistance since the law's enactment. On September 1-2, 2026 the KFTC sent roughly 30 investigators to raid Coupang's Seoul headquarters, this time seeking about 10 years of data (2016-2026), an unusually broad scope compared to the typical 3-5 year window. Coupang maintains it bears the marketing costs itself and has filed suit to overturn a prior related KFTC decision; a court has temporarily suspended that decision's effect through September 23, 2026.