Seoul South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has confirmed a significant cybersecurity incident involving the unauthorized exposure of personal information belonging to approximately 33.7 million customer accounts. The disclosure, made on Saturday, marks one of the largest data breaches in the country's recent corporate history, affecting a user base that rivals the entire population of active online shoppers in the region.
The company, often referred to as the Amazon of South Korea due to its dominance in the retail logistics sector, revealed that the breach was far more extensive than initially believed. While preliminary internal reports from earlier in the week suggested that only 4,500 accounts were impacted, a subsequent and more comprehensive investigation uncovered the true scale of the intrusion. Coupang stated that it first became aware of the irregularities on November 18 and immediately notified relevant authorities, including the Korea Internet & Security Agency.
This graph Below visualizes the sequence of events from the initial unauthorized access to the final confirmation of the massive scale of the breach.
According to the company's official statement, the compromised data includes sensitive personal details such as customer names, email addresses, registered phone numbers, and shipping addresses. In some instances, specific order histories were also accessed. However, Coupang has reassured the public that critical financial data remains secure. The investigation has confirmed that no payment information, credit card numbers, or login credentials such as passwords were exposed during the attack. The breach is believed to have originated from unauthorized access attempts routed through overseas servers, which began as early as June 24 of this year.
A clear visual summary Below distinguishing between the data that was stolen and the sensitive financial information that remains secure, helping to calm reader anxiety regarding their banking details.
In response to the discovery, the company has blocked the compromised access points and implemented enhanced monitoring protocols to prevent further unauthorized activity. Coupang is currently collaborating with law enforcement and regulatory bodies to conduct a thorough forensic investigation into the source of the attack. Company representatives have issued a formal apology to affected customers, acknowledging the distress caused by the incident and advising users to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts or suspicious communications that may exploit the leaked contact information. The incident has drawn sharp attention to data privacy protocols within the country's booming digital economy, especially given that the number of affected accounts exceeds the company’s reported 24.7 million active quarterly users, suggesting the breach may encompass inactive or historical data records.
This bar chart Below compares the number of breached accounts against Coupang's active user base and the total population of South Korea, highlighting the sheer magnitude of the incident (where breached accounts actually exceed active users, implying historical data was accessed).
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