"Why Hide Information from the Korean People?"... Coupang CEO Rogers Clashes at Hearing

Appeared as a witness at the joint hearing in the National Assembly on the 30th
Reacted strongly to suspicions of a "self-investigation"
Repeatedly emphasized, "We followed government agency instructions"
Frequent displays of displeasure le

Harold Rogers, Acting CEO of Coupang, showed a heated reaction toward the National Assembly, which raised suspicions of a 'self-investigation' regarding the personal information leak incident, asking, "Why are you not sharing information with the Korean people?"

Harold Rogers, Acting CEO of Coupang, is speaking at the 'Coupang Joint Hearing' held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the 30th, Rogers appeared as a witness at the 'Hearing on Coupang's Security Breach and Personal Information Leak, Unfair Trade Practices, Labor Environment Assessment, and Measures to Prevent Recurrence' held at the National Assembly. In response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Youngbae-"Who within Coupang instructed the internal contact with the leaker, took their statement, and ordered the investigation?"-Rogers raised his voice, stating, "A government agency instructed us, and we followed that instruction. The Korean people should know this."

Even when Assemblyman Kim clarified his question, asking specifically who within Coupang gave the directive to investigate the leaker, not a government agency, Rogers repeatedly emphasized, "A government agency instructed us, and we simply followed that instruction." He further protested, "Don't you want the Korean people to know this information? Why are you hiding information from the public? I don't understand," expressing his frustration.

As a result, the hearing committee members criticized Rogers' attitude in his responses, leading to raised voices in the chamber. Choi Minhee, Chair of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, noted that interpretation did not seem to be functioning properly and reiterated the gist of the question, but Rogers remained visibly agitated. Chairwoman Choi remarked, "Coupang is brazenly dragging the Korean government into a reckless game of truth, employing an unacceptable strategy." Assemblyman Kim also responded sharply, saying, "We really can't just let this go. Are you playing games with the people? Is this how Coupang is managed?"

Previously, on the 25th, Coupang announced the results of its investigation into the personal information leak, stating that, following government instructions, it identified the former employee responsible for the leak and secured both the leaker's statement and their storage device. Coupang also emphasized that the customer information stored on the leaker's computer was limited to 3,000 cases and that this information was not distributed externally or sold. However, both the police and the Ministry of Science and ICT, who were the official investigators, countered that they had never coordinated with Coupang on this matter, leading to controversy over Coupang conducting a self-investigation to downplay the incident.

On this day, in response to Assemblywoman Hwang Jeonga's question about whether his previous claim that the investigation was conducted under government instruction still stood, Rogers reiterated, "It was not an internal investigation; it was conducted under government instruction." When asked which government agency he had cooperated with, he added, "To my knowledge, the National Intelligence Service has confirmed this publicly." Regarding whom he communicated with, he stated, "I will provide the name of the official with whom I communicated about this matter."

He explained, "The agency told us we had to cooperate with the investigation and repeatedly requested that we contact the information leaker. Initially, we refused, but we understood that under the relevant law, we had to follow the agency's instructions, so we met the leaker in China." He continued, "(The agency) asked us to create a forensic copy and deliver it, so we handed it over to the agency, and the original is with the police," adding, "We did not conduct the forensic analysis ourselves."

Regarding this, Ryu Jemyoung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Coupang is unilaterally claiming that its internal investigation was carried out under the direction of a government agency and in accordance with that instruction," and emphasized, "Once again, I must make it clear that no government agency ever instructed or intervened in Coupang's internal investigation."

Harold Rogers, CEO of Coupang, is attending the 'Coupang Joint Hearing' held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 29th. 2025.12.30 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Additionally, during the hearing, Rogers repeatedly raised his voice and expressed displeasure, drawing criticism from the committee members. When the committee members requested 'yes' or 'no' answers, Rogers interrupted their questions and raised his voice several times. When asked about the use of the term 'false' in Coupang's previously released English-language apology, he responded, "We are sincerely cooperating with the Korean government's instructions. (However) there is misinformation circulating that we are not cooperating with the government. Do you really think we acted on our own accord?" He appeared visibly agitated, tapping his finger on the desk.

At the beginning of the hearing, there was a dispute over the use of simultaneous interpretation devices. Chairwoman Choi explained, "During the last interpretation, the interpreter accompanying Mr. Rogers paraphrased the most critical points, so we have prepared simultaneous interpretation devices," and requested that Rogers wear one. However, Rogers refused, saying, "I was permitted to bring my own interpreter." Assemblyman Noh Jongmyun of the Democratic Party said, "If you respect the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and its legal system, please wear the simultaneous interpretation device," but Rogers replied, "This is not normal. I would like to object." Chairwoman Choi responded, "I will not accept your objection," rejecting his request.