Massive Data Breach Hits South Korea’s E-commerce Giant
South Korea’s largest online retailer Coupang has suffered a major security breach exposing personal data of 33.7 million customers in what appears to be the country’s largest data leak to date.
Key Details of the Coupang Data Breach
- Scale: 33.7 million customer accounts affected
- Timeline: Unauthorized access began June 24, detected November 18
- Data Exposed: Names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses, order histories
- Data Secure: Payment information, credit card numbers, login credentials remain protected
The breach was executed through overseas servers, with Coupang confirming it has now blocked the access route and strengthened internal monitoring systems.
Company Response and Investigation
Coupang has launched a comprehensive investigation with cybersecurity experts and is cooperating with law enforcement agencies. The company has officially apologized for the incident and warned customers to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts.
“Unauthorized access to delivery-related personal information for the affected accounts appears to have been made through overseas servers since June 24. The access route has been blocked and internal monitoring strengthened,” Coupang stated.
Historical Context and Impact
This incident surpasses the previous record data breach at SK Telecom in April, which affected 23.2 million users and resulted in a record 134.8 billion won fine. Notably, Coupang had reported a smaller data leak affecting 4,500 customers on November 20, though the company found no evidence of system intrusion at that time.
The current breach affects nearly Coupang’s entire customer base, raising serious concerns about data protection standards in South Korea’s e-commerce sector.
