Official Statement Released on the 15th
Chairman Kim Beom-seok Urged to Issue Public Apology and Preventive Measures
The Coupang labor union has called for a public apology and preventive measures from Kim Beom-seok, founder and Chairman of Coupang Inc., in response to the massive personal information leak involving as many as 33.7 million cases.
According to industry sources on December 16, the Coupang branch of the Korean Federation of Chemical, Textile, Food and Service Workers’ Unions (Coupang Union) released an official statement the previous day, stating, "Chairman Kim Beom-seok should not evade responsibility for this incident or shift the blame onto staff. As the actual head of management, he must personally stand before customers and employees and deliver a sincere apology." The union emphasized, "What is needed is not a perfunctory statement or legal jargon, but a clear and public apology that acknowledges responsibility for this incident and promises to prevent its recurrence."
The Coupang labor union further asserted, "The company must present responsible compensation measures for consumers who are experiencing anxiety and damage due to the personal information leak, and the process and standards for this must be transparently disclosed." The union added, "A comprehensive review of the overall security system and the establishment of effective preventive measures are necessary to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again."
The union also expressed serious concerns about the possibility that, despite management being responsible for this incident, the burden might be shifted onto employees through ▲ measures that could lead to large-scale restructuring or workforce reductions ▲ an artificial increase in the number of low performers to justify restructuring ▲ deterioration of working conditions or hindrance to improvements in working conditions.
The union argued, "The cause of this incident lies not with individual employees, but within the scope of management responsibilities, including systems, controls, and investment decisions. Any resulting disadvantages must not affect wages, evaluations, or job security, as these are directly tied to employees' livelihoods." The union continued, "If Coupang truly wishes to restore trust and move forward as a sustainable company, management must take responsibility, and employees’ rights and job security must be thoroughly protected."
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that the upcoming hearing by the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee may be unproductive, as Chairman Kim, along with former CEOs Park Dae-joon and Kang Han-seung, have all notified their absence. Since the personal information leak at Coupang was revealed on November 29, Chairman Kim has not issued any statement. He also informed the committee that he would not attend the hearing scheduled for December 17, citing official business commitments as the CEO of a global company. In response, members of the Democratic Party of Korea on the committee issued a statement the previous day, declaring that they would consider legal action, including filing complaints, against Chairman Kim Beom-seok and former CEOs Park Dae-joon and Kang Han-seung.
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