The government has launched a comprehensive response on a pan-government level in response to Coupang’s personal information leak and security breach incident. On the 29th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that they held a ‘Coupang Situation Pan-Governmental Task Force (TF)’ meeting presided over by Vice Minister Bae Kyung-hoon. They issued a strong warning to Coupang and decided to activate an all-out response system.
The government sees this issue not as a simple internal company problem but as a significant issue directly related to personal information protection, platform accountability in the digital platform era, worker safety, fair market order, and compliance with laws across logistics and distribution. They have expressed their determination to conduct a thorough investigation, leaving no suspicion unexamined.
The TF includes the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Personal Information Protection Commission, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Fair Trade Commission, the National Tax Service, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the National Intelligence Service, the Financial Services Commission, the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
Relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Police Agency, the Personal Information Commission, and the Financial Services Commission, will divide roles to quickly investigate the circumstances of the leak of more than 30 million pieces of personal information. The Ministry of Science and ICT will handle the cause of the incident and security management issues, the Personal Information Commission will look into the scale of the leak and any legal violations, the Financial Services Commission will address potential fraudulent payments and high-interest loan linkage issues, and the National Police Agency will conduct analysis of seized materials and international cooperation-led investigations.
To protect users, the Fair Trade Commission plans to comprehensively review the possibility of information theft, potential property damage to consumers, and damage recovery measures by Coupang, and determine whether a suspension of business is necessary. Additionally, the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Communications Commission are investigating whether there are any violations of the Ecommerce Act and Telecommunications Business Act concerning complex membership withdrawal procedures.
Investigations in the labor environment and logistics areas are also underway concurrently. The Ministry of Employment and Labor is checking Coupang’s night work practices and health protection measures, while the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, together with the National Assembly’s Uljiro Committee, is preparing an agreement to protect Coupang workers and plans to promote institutional improvements to enhance working conditions.
Vice Minister Bae Kyung-hoon stated, “The behavior of companies that have grown on the trust of the people cannot be justified by shirking responsibility,” pointing out that “Coupang’s leakage of over 30 million domestic customer records is a clear violation of domestic laws.” He added, “If it is confirmed that Coupang has violated relevant laws, the government will take strict action in the same manner as with other companies, according to the law and principles.”
Furthermore, he emphasized, “This issue is directly connected not only to personal information but also to the safety and rights of the public and the overall social responsibility of companies,” and assured that “the entire government will move as one team to respond thoroughly until the public can be reassured.”