National Assembly Committee Holds Emergency Inquiry on Coupang
Bipartisan Lawmakers Question Responsibility of Silent Chairman Beomseok Kim
Calls for Strict Measures: Trillion-Won Fine and Possible Business Suspension
On December 2, the National Assembly held its first emergency inquiry into Coupang, which caused a personal information leak affecting 33.7 million customers, and unanimously condemned the company. The Democratic Party of Korea stated, "A fine of over 1 trillion won should be imposed," while the People Power Party emphasized, "Even a business suspension should be considered." In particular, bipartisan criticism was directed at Beomseok Kim, Chairman of the Board of Coupang Inc., who is regarded as the de facto owner of Coupang but has remained silent.
Park Daejun, CEO of Coupang, and Brett Mattis, Coupang CISO, are attending the current issues inquiry at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on December 2, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
The National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee convened an emergency inquiry on December 2 regarding the Coupang incident, questioning the circumstances and accountability surrounding the personal information leak. This marks the first response at the parliamentary level since the scale of the customer data breach was revealed. Attending the plenary session were Coupang executives, including CEO Park Daejun and Chief Information Security Officer Brett Mattis, as well as Ryu Jemyung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, and Lee Jeongryeol, Vice Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, among other relevant officials.
Lee Hoonki, a Democratic Party lawmaker, pointed out, "I don't know if this was said with the fine in mind, but although the data was leaked, Coupang used the term 'exposure,'" and emphasized, "According to the Personal Information Protection Act, a fine of up to 3% of sales can be imposed. With Coupang's sales at 41 trillion won, a fine of 1.2 trillion won should be levied."
Park Junghoon, a People Power Party lawmaker, also stated, "This seems to be the first time that a comprehensive set of information, including names, phone numbers, and addresses, has been leaked. Criminal organizations can use this for smuggling, and voice phishing is just the beginning. This is a huge problem. Business suspension should be considered." Vice Minister Ryu responded, "Although it is not our sole decision, we will actively consult with the relevant agencies."
CEO Park explained the use of the term "exposure" instead of "leak," stating, "It was not intended to evade responsibility," and "There was no other intention." Regarding the demand for a direct apology from Chairman Kim, Park responded, "I am currently taking full responsibility for this incident," and "As the representative of the Korean corporation, I will take responsibility to the end and do my utmost to resolve the situation."
The National Assembly Political Affairs Committee plans to hold a plenary session on the afternoon of December 3 to continue the inquiry into this incident. Officials from the Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, and Fair Trade Commission will be summoned to discuss consumer protection and measures to strengthen information security. However, despite the National Assembly's repeated responses, there are ongoing concerns that personal information leaks have continued this year at companies such as SK Telecom, KT, Lotte Card, Yes24, and Coupang. This is because effective countermeasures have not followed these inquiries.
Inadequate responses from company owners are also cited as a cause. In Coupang's case, Beomseok Kim, the founder and de facto owner, has avoided responsibility, citing his resignation from positions such as chairman of the board of the Korean corporation in 2021. During this year's National Assembly audit, Chairman Kim also refused to attend, citing his stay abroad, even as Coupang faced controversy over unfair business practices and other issues. The Political Affairs Committee has summoned Chairman Kim as a witness for the inquiry on December 3, but it appears unlikely that he will attend.
Both ruling and opposition parties are expected to pursue institutional reforms, such as amending the Personal Information Protection Act, in response to the Coupang incident. Kim Seungwon, a Democratic Party lawmaker, has proposed a bill to raise the fine imposed on companies responsible for personal information leaks from 3% to 4% of total sales. Kang Hoonseok, Chief Presidential Secretary, also mentioned the punitive damages system, stating the previous day that if companies had been held more accountable for compensating customers for information leaks, they would have paid more attention to security.
Heo Young, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for Policy of the Democratic Party, stated at a party policy meeting that day, "Coupang has already been fined for personal information leaks three times, but the total amount is only 1.6 billion won," adding, "Such lenient penalties ultimately contributed to this major incident." He continued, "The government must thoroughly investigate whether Coupang violated its security obligations and impose strict penalties, while also reviewing and promptly improving the fine system and information protection certification system."
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