Members of the Joint Action for a Safer Coupang tear up 5,000-won coupons during a news conference titled “Reject Deceptive Coupang Practices: Withdraw From Coupang, Refuse Coupang Coupons,” held outside Coupang’s headquarters in Songpa District, Seoul, on Jan. 14. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, Coupang, is facing a growing backlash from civil society groups over its compensation plan for a massive personal data breach, with activists urging customers to reject the company’s offer and, in some cases, leave the platform altogether.
A coalition of 135 civic and social organizations, operating under the name Joint Action for a Safer Coupang, announced Thursday that it would launch a boycott of Coupang’s compensation vouchers, which the company began distributing on Jan. 15. The groups held a news conference outside Coupang’s headquarters in Seoul’s Songpa district, denouncing the plan as symbolic and misleading.
Coupang has offered affected users compensation valued at up to 50,000 won ($37) per person. But critics say only 5,000 won of that amount can actually be used through the Coupang app, and that customers who previously closed their accounts must rejoin the platform to receive the voucher.
“This is not compensation—it’s a marketing tactic to prop up falling sales,” said Yang Chang-young, an official with the civic group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, accusing the company of forcing customers to use coupons regardless of their intent and of relying on “deception and loopholes” from distribution to redemption.
Delivery trucks are parked at a Coupang depot in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The coalition plans to collect signatures from citizens pledging to reject the vouchers through the Lunar New Year holiday and to submit them to Coupang. A parallel “Talpang” movement—encouraging users to delete their Coupang accounts—is also gaining traction. The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises said it would offer discounts or gifts to consumers who verify they have left the platform.
At the protest, activists staged a performance tearing up mock coupons labeled “5,000 won discount,” alongside photographs of Bom Kim, chairman of Coupang Inc., and Harold Rogers, Coupang Korea’s interim chief executive.
The controversy underscores mounting public scrutiny of how major tech platforms in South Korea handle data breaches and consumer accountability, as calls grow for compensation measures that extend beyond promotional credits and require clearer acknowledgment of corporate responsibility.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
