SEOUL, South Korea — Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said the government’s investigation into the South Korean unit of U.S.-listed e-commerce company Coupang is being carried out strictly under the law and without discrimination, pushing back against criticism from political circles in the United States.
Bae made the remarks during a parliamentary session after the U.S. House Judiciary Committee last week announced an inquiry into what it described as South Korea’s “discriminatory targeting” of American companies. Responding to questions from lawmakers, the minister said the probe is being conducted in accordance with legal principles and denied that any special or discriminatory measures were taken against Coupang.
The investigation follows a major data breach disclosed by Coupang in November, in which sensitive personal information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, and delivery details was exposed. The company initially said data from only about 3,000 accounts had been compromised, based on its internal review.
However, a joint public-private investigation confirmed this week that information from more than 33.6 million accounts had been exposed. Bae said the scale of the breach raised serious concerns, noting that data from tens of millions of users could be stored within a single cloud account, yet the company has failed to provide a clear explanation.
He said it is the government’s responsibility to thoroughly investigate the matter and disclose the facts. The breach could potentially affect roughly two-thirds of South Korea’s population, given Coupang’s dominance as one of the country’s most widely used online shopping platforms, known for overnight delivery of groceries and daily necessities.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said Coupang also failed to report the breach in a timely manner, despite regulations requiring prompt disclosure. The ministry said it plans to impose a fine for the delayed report and proceed with a formal investigation, adding that the company did not adequately preserve key evidence despite earlier requests from authorities.
Officials said the probe will continue in line with legal procedures as regulators assess the full scope of the breach and potential violations. (Source: IANS)
