In this file photo, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan (right) shakes hands with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington on Aug. 24, 2025. (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources) When Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan heads to Washington later this week, the growing dispute over Coupang is expected to emerge as a key issue alongside shipbuilding cooperation in his meetings with senior US officials.According to reports on Sunday, Kim will travel to Washington to attend the opening ceremony of the Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Center on Thursday. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is forecast to take part in the event.While the official agenda is projected to cover expanding ties in the shipbuilding industry between Korea and the US, the meetings will likely extend to broader trade issues affecting the two allies, particularly the ongoing back-and-forth over the Coupang conflict.Coupang, a New York-listed e-commerce firm that makes most of its revenue through Korean businesses, came under fire after it had confirmed a data breach involving some 33 million users in November 2025. Seoul launched a pan-governmental probe into the case, eventually leading to a 423.6 billion won ($284.7 million) fine for the personal information leak and an additional 201.1 billion fine over Coupang’s unauthorized collection of users’ online activities via its website or application.Since Korea’s high-intensity investigation into Coupang began, Washington’s high-ranking officials and lawmakers have framed Seoul's investigation into Coupang as an example of discriminatory treatment against a US company. Earlier this month, the US House Judiciary Committee and the White House openly argued that the way the Korean authorities are dealing with the Coupang incident is an example of unfair, excessive regulatory treatment of an American business.Seoul has consistently rejected that claim, underscoring that the investigation was carried out in accordance with Korean law, without any discrimination based on the nationality of the firm. Despite that, the gap between the two governments' positions has persisted since the breach came to light.Although no official announcement has been made to indicate that the Coupang matter will be discussed during the industry minister’s Washington visit, diplomatic sources say it will be one of the first high-level opportunities for Seoul to directly communicate its position to senior US officials.