The Personal Information Protection Commission has ordered Coupang, which caused a massive data breach involving more than 30 million cases, to change its notification from ‘exposure’ to ‘leak’ and to resend the notice with all leaked data categories fully reflected.
The photo shows Coupang’s headquarters in Songpa District, Seoul, on December 3. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — E-commerce giant Coupang Inc. is facing a growing number of class-action lawsuits after a massive data breach compromised the personal information of nearly 34 million users, marking one of the largest such incidents in South Korea to date.
On Monday, law firm Chung filed the first complaint on behalf of 14 plaintiffs, seeking 200,000 won (about US$140) per person in damages. Several other firms have since announced plans to bring similar suits and are actively recruiting claimants.
But legal experts said Wednesday that the actual payout may end up significantly lower. Courts have typically awarded about 100,000 won per victim in personal-data breach cases, even in large-scale incidents.
In a 2014 breach involving roughly 100 million pieces of customer data from three major credit card companies, victims sought between 200,000 and 700,000 won. The courts ultimately awarded 100,000 won each, citing a lack of proven financial harm and the companies’ efforts to contain secondary damage. Similar rulings followed in two additional cases in 2016 and 2024.
Still, participation in the Coupang suits is quickly mounting. Chung said more than 800 additional individuals have expressed interest since its first filing. Law firm Jihyang reported recruiting roughly 2,500 participants, while Bun Hwa and Lawpid said they have signed up 3,000 and 2,400, respectively.
The scale of the litigation underscores the legal and reputational risk facing Coupang as regulators continue probing the breach and lawmakers debate tougher penalties for data-protection failures.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
