Coupang Upholds Leak Probe Compliance with Government Guidelines

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Coupang has announced that it initiated an internal investigation following the leakage of large-scale personal information by a former Chinese employee, as instructed by government authorities. This move came after the company released its internal findings the previous day, which stated that the leaker had accessed 33 million accounts but only stored approximately 3,000 pieces of data, with no evidence of third-party involvement and minimal damage. Despite this, Coupang issued a rebuttal as public debate continued over the "self-investigation without government supervision."

On that day, Coupang expressed concern about the growing anxiety caused by incorrect claims that the investigation was conducted independently without government oversight. The company emphasized its intention to clarify the details of its cooperation with the government. In response, government agencies, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, voiced their protest and disappointment, describing Coupang’s internal investigation results as a "one-sided announcement without verification by a public-private joint investigation team."

According to Coupang, the company met with government officials on the 1st and agreed to cooperate. On the 2nd, it received an official document from the government regarding the data breach incident. By the 9th, the government requested that Coupang contact the leaker. Coupang first met with the individual on the 14th and reported this to the government. On the 16th, in accordance with government instructions, the company recovered the leaker’s desktop and hard drive, which were then reported and handed over to the government.

In addition, Coupang stated that, in response to a government request to recover additional devices from the leaker, it retrieved the leaker’s MacBook Air laptop from a river on the 18th. The deployment of a forensic team and the securing of physical evidence were also carried out under "government instructions." After documenting the evidence, the laptop was immediately handed over to the government. On the 21st, the government allowed Coupang to submit the hard drive, laptop, and three statements to the police. Following a series of procedures, the company explained that it reached the stage of informing customers about the progress of the additional investigation on the 25th.

Despite these actions, controversy surrounding Coupang’s "self-investigation" is unlikely to fade easily. The company's unilateral disclosure of matters under ongoing government investigation has raised concerns. Coupang has not provided specific details, such as which government agency instructed it to meet the leaker alone or why it suddenly released its internal investigation results before the government made an official announcement. This lack of transparency has fueled further skepticism and calls for a more thorough and independent review of the situation.