One Month After the Personal Information Leak Affecting 33.7 Million Cases
"Accepting All Criticism and Rebuke with Humility"
"Comprehensive Overhaul of Information Security Measures and Investments"
Beomseok Kim, Chairman of Coupang Inc. and founder of Coupang, has issued his first public apology to the Korean people and consumers regarding the massive personal data breach affecting 33.7 million records.
In an apology statement released through Coupang on the 28th, Chairman Kim said, "The personal information leak at Coupang has caused significant concern and inconvenience to our customers and the public. As the founder and Chairman of the Board of Coupang, and on behalf of all Coupang employees, I sincerely apologize," adding, "I cannot hide my deep distress over the current situation, which has disappointed so many people." This is the first official message from Chairman Kim regarding the incident, exactly one month after the breach was made public on November 29.
Chairman Kim stated, "Because of this data breach, which was caused by our responsibility, many people have felt fear and anxiety about the safety of their personal information," and added, "We also caused great frustration and disappointment by failing to communicate clearly and directly from the outset of the incident." He continued, "I sincerely apologize for the inadequate initial response and lack of communication immediately after the incident," and emphasized, "Above all, my apology comes too late."
He explained, "I devoted all available resources and personnel to resolve the situation and to fully support efforts to prevent any secondary harm to our customers," and added, "Rather than simply apologizing with words, Coupang sought to take concrete actions and achieve real results, taking every possible measure in line with the best interests of the Korean people."
Chairman Kim also said, "Amid rampant misinformation and rapidly changing circumstances, I believed it was best to communicate and apologize publicly only after all facts had been confirmed," but admitted, "In retrospect, this was a mistaken judgment, and while Coupang was working around the clock to resolve the situation, I too should have expressed my deep regret and sincere apology from the very beginning." He added, "Since first becoming aware of the initial circumstances of the data breach, I have carried a heavy heart."
Regarding the recent controversy over Coupang's internal investigation results, he stated, "Coupang Korea and all Coupang employees made it their top priority to immediately block any possibility of secondary harm to customers, driven by a profound sense of responsibility to restore customer trust," and continued, "Throughout this process, even as misinformation spread, we strictly complied with the government's request for confidentiality, and believed that fully recovering all customer personal information stolen by the perpetrator was the key to restoring customer trust," maintaining Coupang's existing position that this was the result of cooperation with the government.
Chairman Kim further stated, "Even after successfully recovering and securing the leaked personal information, we remain acutely aware of our failure to prevent the initial data breach," and added, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who pointed out our communication failures, and I humbly accept all criticism and reprimands, deeply apologizing for all the concerns and inconvenience this has caused."
Chairman Kim pledged, "I will rebuild trust from the beginning," and promised, "With the Board of Directors at the center, Coupang Korea will prepare and swiftly implement a compensation plan for Korean customers who have experienced inconvenience." He added, "To ensure that a mistake like this data breach never happens again, we will completely overhaul Coupang's information security measures and investments, and will make sure that necessary improvements and investments are not delayed."
He also vowed, "We will use this failure as a lesson and a springboard to build a world-class cybersecurity system," and "We will thoroughly investigate the causes of the security vulnerabilities and innovate our security systems." He continued, "Once the government's final investigation results are released, we will develop and implement measures to prevent recurrence based on those findings," emphasizing, "Coupang will take this incident as an opportunity for thorough self-renewal and will never stop striving to deliver the best customer experience in the world."
Meanwhile, Chairman Kim has announced that he will not attend the joint hearing of six National Assembly standing committees scheduled for December 30-31. Choi Minhee, Chairperson of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee and a member of the Democratic Party, disclosed Chairman Kim's letter of non-attendance on Facebook. Chairman Kim explained, "As I am currently residing overseas, I regret to inform you that I am unable to attend the hearing on December 30 and 31, 2025, due to prior commitments," and added, "These commitments are fixed and cannot be changed, so I ask for your understanding regarding my unavoidable absence." Kim's younger brother, Kim Yuseok, Vice President of Coupang, and former CEO Kang Hanseung also submitted letters of non-attendance.
Previously, Chairman Kim did not attend the hearing on the Coupang personal information leak held by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee on the 17th, having submitted a letter of non-attendance in advance, citing business commitments. In response, Assemblywoman Choi stated, "This is a continued act of disregarding and mocking the Republic of Korea, its people, and the National Assembly," and added, "Once again, (non-attendance) will not be permitted."
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