Embrain Trend Monitor: Survey on Awareness of Personal Information Leaks
85.4% of Respondents Say "Still Anxious"
55.3% Say "Forced to Use"… Lock-in Effect
"Swift Response and Compensation Are Key to Restoring Trust"
Following the massive personal information leak at Coupang involving as many as 33.7 million cases, a majority of consumers have expressed anxiety. However, survey results show that more than half of consumers intend to continue using the platform due to its convenience.
A massive personal information leak involving over 30 million cases has occurred at Coupang. This scale exceeds the economically active population of 29.69 million, making it the worst leak incident in history. On December 1, following an apology text message from Coupang regarding the personal information leak incident, a Coupang signboard installed at Coupang headquarters is visible. 2025.12.01 Photo by Dongju Yoon
According to a survey conducted by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on December 13, which polled 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 69 nationwide, 85.4% of respondents said that they still felt uneasy even after receiving Coupang's apology text message or notice regarding the incident.
A total of 91.8% of respondents answered that "the fact that Coupang was unaware of the leak for five months has greatly increased distrust in the company's sense of responsibility." In addition, 82.5% expressed a negative view, saying that "Coupang's trick of intentionally making the withdrawal process complicated is infuriating." Furthermore, 71.9% of respondents said, "Even if Coupang offers compensation, it will be difficult to restore the trust that has already been lost."
Overall, 92.7% of respondents believed that their own information was likely included in the leaked data, a very high proportion. Additionally, 87.3% expressed concern that this Coupang leak could lead to voice phishing or smishing damages. Another 82.6% said they were worried about secondary damages, citing the possibility that information of family members and acquaintances included in delivery address books may also have been leaked.
Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that, despite this widespread distrust, most do not expect Coupang's personal information leak to immediately lead to a halt in usage. The survey found that 55.3% of respondents said, "I do not want to use it, but I have no other choice but to continue due to its convenience," making up the majority. By age group, this tendency to continue using the service was strongest among younger consumers: 57.5% in their 20s, 60.5% in their 30s, 54.5% in their 40s, 53.5% in their 50s, and 50.5% in their 60s.
In practice, respondents mainly took passive measures in response to the Coupang data breach, such as "strengthening security measures like changing passwords or enabling two-factor authentication" (44.0%, multiple responses) or "temporarily suspending use" (41.3%). Only 7.3% said they had "already withdrawn from the service." Embrain commented, "Consumers are aware of the data breach, but Coupang's 'convenience' still seems to exert a lock-in effect."
Meanwhile, 74% of respondents said that "if the company responds quickly and provides compensation, it is possible to restore trust to some extent." Additionally, 70.3% answered that "even if a personal information leak occurs, trust can be restored depending on how the company responds," indicating that responsible follow-up action by the company is seen as a key factor in regaining consumer trust.
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