Coupang says probe into former employee was conducted in close cooperation with gov't
Published: 26 Dec. 2025, 20:19
![Members of the Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations hold a rally urging Coupang members to quit the service in Jonggak, central Seoul, on Dec. 17. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/26/3e8eac3f-ad7b-40ac-b953-e03266ce4cc5.jpg)
Members of the Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations hold a rally urging Coupang members to quit the service in Jonggak, central Seoul, on Dec. 17. [NEWS1]
E-commerce giant Coupang said on Friday that the investigation into a former employee suspected of leaking customer data was conducted in close cooperation with the government, one day after it said its internal probe found that no stolen information had been leaked to any third party.
The company's latest statement comes amid speculation that the company independently investigated the employee without oversight from authorities, leading to results that lack verification.
“The government advised us to contact the former employee on Dec. 9. Under the government's guidance, we delivered the former employee's desktop computer hard drive and laptop to police on [Sunday]. On [Tuesday], we submitted a report on our meetings with the individual and all evidence obtained during the investigation to the government,” Coupang said in a press release.
On Thursday, Coupang said it had identified the former employee responsible for the data leak using forensic evidence, adding that the individual confessed and provided a detailed account of how customer information was accessed.
According to the company, the suspect stole security keys to access basic customer information from nearly 34 million accounts. However, data from only about 3,000 accounts was actually saved and later deleted.
Coupang said it found no evidence that any customer data was shared with or transmitted to third parties, assuring that it has secured all devices used to access and store customer information including a hard drive.
The Ministry of Science and ICT earlier called the company's announcement a “unilateral claim,” noting that a joint public-private investigation of the case launched last month has yet to release any findings.
The police said there had been no prior contact or consultations with Coupang before Sunday, adding that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cyber investigation department was currently conducting a forensic examination of the laptop submitted by Coupang.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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