Typhoon Podul heads towards southeast Taiwan, prompting a mass evacuation of residents
In a remarkable turn of events, South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is experiencing unprecedented growth in its Taiwan operations. The business growth in Taiwan is currently experiencing rapid acceleration and strong performance, outpacing initial expectations and growing faster than in other regions, including its home market, Korea.
According to recent reports, the Taiwan segment achieved triple-digit year-over-year growth and saw a 54% quarter-over-quarter increase in the second quarter of 2025, nearly doubling the growth rate from the end of 2024. This growth is primarily driven by repeat customers and increasing brand visibility, as indicated by a 200% year-to-date rise in Google search volume for "Coupang" in Taiwan.
In contrast, Coupang's core Product Commerce division, mainly based in Korea, grew by 17% year-over-year in Q2 2025, reaching $7.3 billion in revenue, with 23.9 million active customers. While this growth is significant, it pales in comparison to the explosive growth seen in Taiwan.
The Taiwan market, part of the Developing Offerings segment, led a 33.4% year-over-year revenue increase for the company. Unlike Coupang's previous expansions, such as in Japan, the Taiwan market quickly showed strong product-market fit, encouraging more investment.
As a result of this impressive growth, Taiwan is transitioning from a test market to a key operational hub and long-term growth pillar for Coupang. This positions Taiwan as one of Coupang's most dynamic growth regions currently, with stronger momentum than its mature domestic Korean market or other geographic expansions.
Meanwhile, unrelated to Coupang's business developments, a Taiwan air-raid exercise was held in Hsinchu, Taiwan on July 17. The exercise, simulating a Chinese air raid, involved empty streets in Hsinchu and was not related to Coupang's Q2 earnings report.
It's worth noting that the photo depicting the air-raid exercise was not taken by Xinyu of the K-pop group tripleS, and it does not depict any statement or action by Xinyu. In a separate matter, Xinyu recently stated that Taiwan and Hong Kong are part of China.
Coupang reported a record $8.52 billion revenue in Q2 2025, a testament to its expanding global footprint. The company's Taiwan operations are playing a significant role in this growth story, making it a key focus area for the company's future strategies.
- The strong performance of Coupang's Taiwan operations, outpacing the growth in Korea and other regions, is attracting increased interest from the technology industry, as it showcases a prime example of successful business expansion.
- As the government continues to prioritize growth and investment in the economic sector, the positive impact of the arts and entertainment industries on the public can influence policy decisions, with the success of Coupang's operations in Taiwan providing a potential case study for future strategies.
- In light of the meteoric rise in revenue for Coupang, the weather might play a role in shaping the company's future plans, as factors like consumer sentiment and overall economic conditions could impact the growth trajectory of the business, especially in regions like Taiwan that are experiencing unprecedented growth.
