Post by : Badri Ariffin

South Korea's leading e-commerce platform, Coupang, has disclosed a significant data breach impacting 33.7 million customer accounts, raising alarms within the user community. Commonly dubbed the "Amazon of South Korea," the firm recognized the breach on Sunday, extending a formal apology to its consumers.

In a statement on the company’s website, Coupang CEO Park Dae-jun expressed, "We genuinely apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers." The breach has reportedly compromised names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses, and some order histories. However, the company assured that payment information and login credentials were not affected.

Investigations into the incident are underway with authorities looking into whether Coupang has violated personal data protection regulations. Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon confirmed the breach is currently under official examination.

Coupang indicated that the breach was detected on November 18 and promptly informed the relevant authorities. Law enforcement is collaborating with Coupang to identify the source of the breach, with preliminary reports hinting that a former employee from China might have been involved. It appears that unauthorized access began on June 24 via overseas servers.

With 24.7 million active users in the third quarter benefiting from its "Rocket" fast delivery service, Coupang is integral to daily life for many individuals in Korea. The Korea Internet & Security Agency, backed by the government, has issued advisories to impacted users, recommending vigilance against phishing scams and dubious communications.

This incident underscores a troubling trend of data breaches affecting major corporations in South Korea, raising critical concerns about cybersecurity practices and corporate responsibility in the nation’s rapidly expanding tech landscape.

#Global News #Tech News