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President Lee calls for stronger penalties for Coupang following data leak

Published: 02 Dec. 2025, 11:22 Updated: 02 Dec. 2025, 11:33

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul on Dec. 2. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the implementation of stronger penalties and more effective measures in response to the recent Coupang data leak, including tougher fines and the realization of punitive damages for privacy violations.

“Many of our citizens are concerned because of the Coupang data leak,” said Lee during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “It is truly shocking that the company failed to detect the leak for five months, despite the scale of the breach, which involved approximately 34 million records.”

Lee called for a swift investigation into the cause of the incident and emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable.

“All available measures must be mobilized to prevent secondary damage caused by the misuse of leaked information,” he said.

He also addressed the broader implications of the case, saying, “We must take this opportunity to completely overturn the poor practices and mindsets that treat personal data protection lightly, even though it is a core asset in the era of AI and digital technology.”

Lee instructed relevant ministries to study international examples and strengthen fines while also making punitive damages a practical reality, calling for “realistic and effective countermeasures.”

“As we enter a hyper-connected digital society, I urge the swift establishment and implementation of a new digital security system that spans both the public and private sectors — a true paradigm shift,” Lee added.

On Saturday, Coupang confirmed that personal data from approximately 33.7 million user accounts had been exposed without authorization.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]