Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon stated that the South Korean government is investigating the local unit of US e-commerce giant Coupang without bias, in response to US political criticism. The probe comes after the US House Judiciary Committee raised concerns about South Korea’s alleged discriminatory actions against American companies.
During a parliamentary session, Bae emphasized that the investigation is being carried out in accordance with the law and principles, addressing accusations of unfair treatment towards Coupang. The scrutiny follows a significant data breach at Coupang in November, exposing personal details of millions of accounts.
Initially downplaying the breach by claiming data from only 3,000 accounts was compromised, Coupang faced scrutiny as a joint investigation revealed that over 33.6 million accounts were actually affected. Despite the scale of the breach, the company allegedly provided unclear explanations, prompting government intervention to uncover the truth.
Coupang, known for its swift delivery services in South Korea, is a prominent e-commerce platform, with the breach potentially impacting a large portion of the country’s population. The Science Ministry confirmed the breach’s magnitude and criticized Coupang for its delayed reporting and failure to preserve crucial evidence, leading to impending penalties and further investigations.
