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Coupang CEO steps down following data leak, replaced by U.S. CAO

Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 14:58 Updated: 11 Dec. 2025, 12:41

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Coupang CEO Park Dae-jun attends a parliamentary inquiry by the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee at the National Assembly building in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 2. [YONHAP]

Coupang CEO Park Dae-jun stepped down from his position after promising to take all responsibility for the November data leak that exposed the information of 33.7 million customers. The U.S. headquarters will step in to make amends.

“I am deeply regretful for disappointing everyone with the recent personal data incident,” Park said through a press release on Wednesday afternoon. “I have decided to step down [...] after feeling a heavy sense of responsibility for the incident and everything that followed.”

Park will be replaced by Harold Rogers — the general counsel and chief administrative officer (CAO) of Seattle-based Coupang, the platform's parent company — as the interim chief.

The CAO will focus on alleviating customers' dissatisfaction and outrage caused by the data leak and will also work to soften the negative sentiments present within and outside the company.

“We are very sorry to have caused people concern,” said a Coupang spokesperson. “We will make our best efforts to fortify our security and ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.”

Onlookers interpret this movie as Coupang pre-emptively preparing for the parliamentary questioning — which will be held by the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on Dec. 17 — to discuss the leak.

Harold Rogers, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer at Coupang Inc. [COUPANG]

For the hearing, the committee decided to summon six witnesses: Kim Bom, the Coupang founder and CEO; former CEO Park; Kang Han-seung, the head of U.S. business development and former head of corporate management; and Brett Matthes, the chief information security officer.

Kim has been refusing to attend any parliamentary sessions for reasons such as his overseas residence. If he refuses to attend the Dec. 17 hearing, lawmakers may seek legal ways to require his presence; however, the founder may not be subject to Korean laws since he is a U.S. citizen.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok called out the Coupang scandal again during a policy meeting at the Seoul Government Complex on Wednesday, calling it “way past being just serious.”

“It is a matter of basic ethics,” he said. “The government must investigate the details of the incident and take firm measures regarding any illegalities.”

Updated: Information added about the hearing and the prime minister's comment.

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]