Coupang, South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, has apologized following a significant data breach that potentially impacts approximately 34 million customer accounts. The breach, which the country’s internet authority is currently investigating, has likely exposed personal data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses, and some order histories. Coupang confirmed that it first detected unauthorized access to about 4,500 accounts on November 18 and reported this to authorities immediately.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the breach may have begun as early as June and involves data from 33.7 million accounts located in South Korea. Importantly, the compromised information does not include credit card details or login credentials, which the company stated remain secure. With South Korea’s total population around 52 million, the affected accounts represent a significant portion of the country.
Coupang has urged customers to remain vigilant against scams that may exploit this breach and has indicated that no immediate action is required from users. The company, founded in South Korea and now headquartered in the United States, reported having around 25 million active users.
While Coupang has not disclosed the identity of the individuals responsible for the breach, South Korean media has suggested a former employee from China could be involved. The Ministry of Science and ICT is evaluating the breach’s scope as well as Coupang’s compliance with data protection regulations, emphasizing its commitment to swift and strict enforcement if any violations are found.
This incident is part of a larger trend of data breaches affecting major South Korean companies, despite the nation’s strong data privacy laws. Previous breaches include incidents involving telecommunications giant SK Telecom and Lotte Card, where millions of customer records were compromised.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36zwywll02o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss