Coupang’s data breach undetected for five months, triggering customer alarm (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of consumers are preparing to take legal action in the United States against Coupang Inc. over a massive data breach that exposed personal information from nearly two-thirds of South Korea’s population, according to a Seoul-based law firm.
Daeryun Law Firm LLC said Friday that its U.S. affiliate, SJKP Law Firm LLP, has received applications from 2,346 individuals seeking to join a class-action lawsuit against the New York–listed e-commerce company. Applicants include Korean-Americans, U.S. residents and consumers in South Korea, the firm said.
The figure is expected to climb. Daeryun noted that some consumers involved in a separate lawsuit filed in Korea have indicated they intend to participate in the U.S. action as well.
SJKP said at a press conference Monday in the United States that it is preparing to file a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The firm criticized Coupang for what it described as a lack of meaningful accountability following the breach affecting 33.7 million Korean users.
“As a U.S. corporation, Coupang must answer to the full authority of the American judicial system,” SJKP said, adding that the suit aims to uncover the circumstances of the breach and secure “meaningful compensation” for those affected. The firm also emphasized that the U.S. litigation will proceed independently of legal actions underway in South Korea.
While domestic lawsuits focus largely on consumer harm, SJKP said the U.S. action will center on “failures in corporate governance and breaches of disclosure obligations” tied to Coupang’s status as a U.S.-listed company.
The firm aims to file the suit before the end of the year.
Coupang confirmed on Nov. 29 that personal information from 33.7 million accounts—including names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery locations—had been exposed. The scope far exceeded the 4,500 accounts the company initially reported to regulators on Nov. 20. Coupang said payment data and login credentials were not compromised.
The number of affected users surpasses the company’s 24.7 million active quarterly customers, indicating that nearly its entire customer base may have been impacted.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
