Harold Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang, answers lawmakers’ questions during a parliamentary hearing on the company’s data breach at the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on December 17. The hearing has drawn growing criticism as an “empty hearing” due to the absence of Coupang founder and chairman Bom Kim. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party said Thursday it would push for a joint parliamentary hearing involving multiple standing committees to investigate a massive data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang, stepping up pressure after the company’s founder repeatedly failed to appear before lawmakers.
Kim Hyun-jung, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party’s floor leadership, said the party decided to pursue a joint hearing after determining that a full parliamentary investigation would take too long to launch.
“A national investigation would take at least a month to prepare,” Kim told reporters at the National Assembly. “The Coupang issue requires swift action, and a joint hearing allows us to shorten that timeline.”
The proposed hearing would bring together several committees, including the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, the Political Affairs Committee, and the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee.
Coupang’s data breach undetected for five months, triggering customer alarm (Yonhap)
Democratic Party officials said the scope of the hearing would extend beyond the recent personal data breach to address what they described as broader structural problems at Coupang, including late-night delivery practices, industrial accidents involving workers, unpaid retirement benefits and labor management issues.
“By holding a comprehensive hearing that covers all of these issues, we intend to uncover Coupang’s fundamental problems, establish accountability and put in place measures to prevent a recurrence,” Kim said.
The move comes amid growing criticism that recent parliamentary hearings and audits into the data breach have been ineffective due to the continued absence of Coupang founder and chairman Kim Beom-suk, who has not appeared despite repeated summons.
Kim Hyun-jung expressed hope that the ruling party could secure cooperation from the Political Affairs Committee, which is chaired by a lawmaker from the opposition People Power Party, noting that both sides share concerns over Coupang’s conduct.
“The People Power Party has also recognized the seriousness of the issues surrounding Coupang,” she said. “We expect cooperation, including on the issue of filing a complaint against Chairman Kim.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
