# Seoul Court Suspends Order Designating Coupang’s Founder as Controlling Person Coupang wins the first round in its battle with the competition regulator. - **Source:** [The Next Web](https://brifing.si/source/afe24b20-b275-4c19-b9a6-8bb3c8babae7) - **Published:** 2026-07-14 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/af357ced-7b38-489e-bbfc-62eaf604c0dc ## Court Decision The Seoul High Court suspended the designation of Coupang founder Bom Kim as the company's controlling person. This decision froze the company's disclosure obligations while the main case is heard. ## Court's Reasoning The court stated that the applicants demonstrated an urgent need to prevent irreparable harm. It found no indication that the suspension would significantly undermine public interest. ## Coupang's Defense Coupang argued that it has a transparent ownership structure and that Kim's family does not hold shares in the local affiliates. It claimed there is no way private benefits could be transferred to the founder's family. ## FTC's Position The Fair Trade Commission maintained that the designation did not cause immediate or significant harm. It argued that a business group controlled from abroad should not be treated more leniently than a Korean company. ## Court's Findings The court determined that the FTC's request for additional information was an administrative action subject to judicial review. This means companies can now challenge routine information requests in court. ## Main Case Awaited The main lawsuit, which seeks to completely overturn the designation, has yet to be heard. During this process and for a month after the ruling, a company will be legally responsible for Coupang's disclosures. ## Sources covering this story - https://thenextweb.com/news/coupang-bom-kim-ftc-designation-court-injunction — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._