(MENAFN) South Korea’s leading e-commerce platform, Coupang, has admitted to a massive cyber breach that may have affected nearly 34 million customer accounts, prompting widespread concern about personal data security. According to reports, the country’s internet regulatory body is investigating the incident, which represents one of the largest leaks in South Korea in recent years.

Coupang initially discovered unauthorised access to the personal information of roughly 4,500 accounts on 18 November and immediately notified authorities. However, subsequent investigations revealed that 33.7 million accounts, all within South Korea, were likely exposed.

The company believes the breach began as early as June via a server located overseas.

The exposed information includes names, phone numbers, emails, shipping addresses, and some order histories. Coupang confirmed that credit card information and login credentials were not compromised, stating that users need not take any immediate action. With South Korea’s population at around 52 million, the affected accounts account for more than half of the country’s residents. Coupang, which operates out of South Korea and the US, recently reported nearly 25 million active users.

The company apologised to its customers and urged vigilance against potential scams impersonating the platform. Coupang has not identified the perpetrators, but reports suggest a former employee from China may be responsible. Authorities are evaluating whether the company violated data protection regulations. “As the breach involves the contact details and addresses of a large number of citizens, the Commission plans to conduct a swift investigation and impose strict sanctions if it finds a violation of the duty to implement safety measures under the Protection Act,” stated South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT.

Coupang has faced multiple cybersecurity incidents before, including one exposing 460,000 accounts. The latest breach has drawn severe criticism from local media. The editorial board of Chosun Ilbo called the incident “preposterous” and urged strict penalties, while Dong-A Ilbo described it as “the worst personal data leak” in South Korean history, questioning how long it went undetected and suggesting internal safeguards were ineffective.

This breach adds to a series of recent cyber-attacks affecting major companies, despite South Korea’s strong data privacy laws. SK Telecom, the country’s largest mobile operator, faced fines approaching $100 million for a breach impacting more than 20 million subscribers, and in September, Lotte Card reported leaks affecting nearly three million customers.

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