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Presidential office holds emergency meeting on Coupang data leak

Published: 26 Dec. 2025, 09:01

A Coupang delivery truck is seen parked at a lot in Seoul on Dec. 25. [YONHAP]

The presidential office convened an emergency ministerial-level meeting with government officials on Thursday to discuss a recent data breach at the e-commerce giant Coupang, according to informed sources.

Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, presided over the meeting, attended by ministerial-level government officials, including the science minister and the personal information protection commission chair, as well as officials from investigative agencies, the sources said.

Notably, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and officials from the National Security Office attended the meeting along with senior officials from the National Intelligence Service. It indicates they may look into Coupang's lobbying activities in the United States.

"There is widespread understanding within the government about the seriousness of the breach," a source said, asking not to be identified, adding that given the gravity of the issue, the meeting took place even on a holiday.

Other sources close to the issue noted that the meeting being held on a holiday suggests how seriously President Lee Jae Myung takes the issue.

During a briefing by the finance ministry on Dec. 11, Lee criticized the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant, saying, "Those people are not afraid of punishment at all."

Earlier in the day, Coupang announced it had recovered all leaked personal information involving approximately 3,000 customers, adding that no data has been transferred to anyone outside the company.

Coupang said it has identified a former employee responsible for the data leak by using forensic evidence, adding that the individual confessed and provided a detailed account of how customer information was accessed.

But the government refuted Coupang's announcement as a "unilateral claim," saying the outcome of a private-government joint team's investigation into the data leak has yet to be released.

Yonhap