**South Korean President Vows Stronger Penalties for Coupang Data Breach Affecting 33.7 Million Customers**
On December 11, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to holding e-commerce giant Coupang accountable for a data breach that exposed the personal information of 33.7 million customers. Speaking at a Ministry of Economy and Finance briefing in Sejong, Lee emphasized the need for swift and substantial financial penalties, arguing that large fines are more effective than criminal prosecutions in deterring corporate misconduct.
Lee criticized the current criminal penalty system, noting that it often targets junior officials rather than executives or major stakeholders, limiting its deterrent effect. He announced the formation of a government task force to streamline economic penalties and called on the Korea Fair Trade Commission to impose administrative fines through compulsory inspections.
The president also addressed government transparency, urging citizens to report concerns anonymously via Telegram while acknowledging that such measures may not always succeed. His remarks followed broader discussions on personnel appointments, including criticism of Kim Hyung-seok, director of the Independence Hall of Korea, whose controversial statements about Liberation Day sparked calls for his resignation.
During the briefing, Lee lightened the mood by joking with his chief of staff, referencing a land sale controversy tied to alleged favoritism involving former presidential aide Kim Nam-guk. The session marked the first live-broadcast agency briefings during a presidential transition, with Lee praising the majority of diligent civil servants while condemning a small number of "bad actors" for undermining public trust.
The incident underscores South Korea’s push for stricter corporate accountability in data protection, with potential financial and regulatory consequences for Coupang.
Source: https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20251212/6008029/1
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/coupang
"id": "cou1765499494",
"linkid": "coupang",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "12/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '33.7 million',
'industry': 'E-commerce',
'location': 'South Korea',
'name': 'Coupang',
'type': 'Company'}],
'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '33.7 million',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal information'},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-12-11',
'description': 'A data breach exposed personal information of 33.7 million '
'customers of Coupang.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': 'Personal information of 33.7 million '
'customers',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential financial consequences for '
'economic wrongdoing'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (Task force established)',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2023-12-11',
'source': "President Lee Jae-myung's briefing at Ministry of "
'Economy and Finance'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'fines_imposed': 'Potential administrative fines by '
'Korea Fair Trade Commission'},
'title': 'Coupang Data Breach',
'type': 'Data Breach'}