Coupang Faces Fact-Finding Probe Over Complicated Account Deletion Process... "Strict Measures Including Fines" (Update)

Determining Whether Coupang's Actions Violate the Telecommunications Business Act
Complicated Termination Process Causes User Inconvenience

Coupang, which has caused controversy due to a large-scale personal information leak, is under factual investigation for deliberately making its account deletion process complicated.

Daejun Park, CEO of Coupang, appeared at the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 3rd to respond to inquiries regarding Coupang's personal information leak. On the right is Brett Mattis, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Coupang. December 3, 2025. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee (BMCC) announced on December 4 that it has launched a factual investigation to determine whether Coupang's account deletion process constitutes an "act that restricts users' right to terminate service," which is prohibited under the Telecommunications Business Act.

Currently, Coupang users must go through a complicated process located in a place that is not intuitively easy to find in order to delete their accounts.

For users of the application, they must tap the personal information tab (the icon shaped like a person's upper body) at the bottom of the main screen, then proceed through settings, modify member information, enter their password, and then switch to the PC screen to continue the account deletion process from the password re-entry stage.

When proceeding with account deletion on the PC screen, users must go through a series of steps: My Coupang → Check/modify personal information → Enter password → Click "Delete account" at the bottom of the screen → Re-enter password → Review Coupang usage history → Complete a complex survey, before they can finally apply for account deletion.

The BMCC explained, "Due to the recent large-scale personal information leak at Coupang, there has been a surge in demand for account deletion," and added, "We have urgently launched an investigation, as we believe these termination procedures cause significant inconvenience to users."

The BMCC stated that if any illegal acts are identified during this investigation, it will take strict measures in accordance with relevant laws, including imposing fines and issuing corrective orders.