Coupang Faces Probe Over Widest Data Hack Seen in South Korea

South Korean authorities are investigating a data leak at online retailer Coupang Inc. that exposed nearly 33.7 million accounts in what could be the largest-scale attack for the country of 51.7 million.

According to Yonha News, personal information was allegedly hacked by a Chinese citizen who previously worked at the company. Police said they began investigating after receiving a formal complaint from Coupang, which did not name the suspect. The Ministry of Science and ICT said in a statement that it had formed a joint investigation team and planned to analyze the cause of the incident.

The breach at the US-listed e-commerce giant underscores increasing cybersecurity risks in South Korea. SK Telecom Co., the country’s largest mobile operator, was fined $97 million this year for failing to protect customer data and delaying breaches. KT Corp. and Lotte Card Co. had also announced the leaks in recent months.

Coupang said in an emailed statement that it first learned on Nov. 18 that personal information (names, email, shipping addresses and phone numbers) on approximately 4,500 accounts had been exposed. He reported the incident to authorities, and a subsequent investigation revealed that approximately 33.7 million accounts had been compromised. Coupang said that unauthorized access via overseas servers began on June 24.

“Product trading active customers” reached 24.7 million in the third quarter, recording 10% year-on-year growth, the company said in a statement on Nov. 4.

“Coupang has blocked unauthorized access, strengthened internal monitoring,” it said in an emailed statement. He apologized for the incident and said he would continue to cooperate with authorities.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.