Coupang Data Leak NIS Perjury Complaint: Spies vs. E-commerce Giant in 2025

It’s a high-stakes showdown between a global tech giant and a national spy agency. On December 30, 2025, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) dismissed claims made by Coupang’s interim CEO, Harold Rogers, and formally requested the National Assembly to file a perjury complaint against him.

Coupang Data Leak NIS Perjury Complaint: The Core of the Dispute

According to Yonhap, the dispute stems from a massive data breach affecting 33 million customers—nearly two-thirds of the country’s population. During a parliamentary hearing, Harold Rogers claimed that Coupang conducted an internal probe following an "order" from the NIS. He further alleged that the agency instructed the company to contact the individual responsible for the leak.

The NIS has countered these remarks, calling them "groundless." The agency clarified it has no authority to order private firms to conduct investigations and only requested information as part of its standard procedures. "We sternly warn Coupang that its chief executive's false remarks are a grave matter that undermines trust in a state institution," the agency stated in a press release.

Massive Data Breach Affecting 33 Million South Koreans

This legal friction comes at a sensitive time for the U.S.-listed e-commerce leader. While founder Kim Bom-suk recently issued a public apology and announced a 1.69 trillion-won compensation plan, consumer rights groups haven't been impressed. Critics describe the plan as a marketing strategy designed to lock in memberships rather than a genuine gesture of restitution.