South Korea Weighs Business Suspension in Coupang Data Leak Investigation 2025

Could the nation's largest e-commerce platform be temporarily shut down? The South Korean government just threatened Coupang Inc. with its most severe penalties yet. On December 31, 2025, authorities slammed the U.S.-listed giant for its "lukewarm" response to a massive data breach, vowing to take all available legal measures to hold the company accountable.

Coupang Data Leak Investigation 2025: The 3,000 vs. 33 Million Dispute

A central conflict has emerged regarding the scale of the breach. While Coupang initially reported that over 33.7 million accounts were compromised, it recently pivoted, claiming only 3,000 accounts were affected. Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon called this reversal "extremely reckless," noting that the company allowed crucial website access logs to be deleted over a 5-month period, potentially violating the law.

$1.17 Billion Compensation or Promotional Stunt?

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Public anger is mounting over Coupang’s 1.69 trillion won ($1.17 billion) compensation package. Critics argue the 50,000 won per person offer is merely a marketing ploy, as it consists of vouchers requiring further purchases. FTC Chairman Ju Biung-ghi testified that the regulator is examining the damage and could consider a suspension of business operations if the company fails to provide appropriate victim compensation.

Leadership Faces Legal Peril and Perjury Charges

The controversy has now shifted to the company's top brass. The National Assembly decided to file complaints against Harold Rogers, Coupang's interim CEO, for alleged perjury after his claims about NIS instructions were refuted by the agency. Furthermore, the absence of founder Kim Bom-suk from the hearing has prompted lawmakers to seek charges for violating the act on parliamentary testimony.