Seoul: South Korea is tightening its focus on data security after a major breach at Coupang exposed personal information belonging to almost 34 million users. President Lee Jae Myung called the incident a serious failure and said the government will push for stronger penalties against companies that fail to protect customer data.
Authorities say the breach is one of the largest recorded in the country. The leaked information reportedly includes names phone numbers email addresses delivery details and purchase history. Coupang said that financial data such as bank accounts and passwords were not affected.
Investigators believe the breach may have started in June and went unnoticed for almost five months. Police are examining whether a former Coupang employee misused an internal digital authentication key to access the data. Two email accounts that may be connected to threats or attempts to misuse the information are also under investigation.
Government agencies including the national data regulator and cybersecurity units are now coordinating a full review. The president said that current laws are not enough and that companies must face tougher accountability when managing sensitive digital information. Under existing rules firms can be fined up to three percent of their revenue for failing to protect data which could mean a very large penalty for Coupang if regulators conclude negligence occurred.
Experts warn that even though no financial data was leaked the stolen information could be used in scams fake messages and identity fraud. Authorities have already issued public warnings urging people to ignore suspicious calls or messages claiming to be from Coupang or delivery companies.
Coupang has apologized and said it is cooperating with the investigation. The company also announced that it is strengthening its internal security systems.
The data breach has sparked wider concern about digital safety and privacy in a country where online shopping and electronic services are heavily used. Lawmakers are expected to discuss new rules that may require companies to invest more in cybersecurity and report breaches faster.
The investigation remains open and officials say more updates will be provided once the full impact is understood.