(MENAFN- IANS) Seoul, Dec 2 (IANS) A massive data breach attack against e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. that has affected over 30 million customers' data lasted from June to November and involved the exploitation of the company's electronic signature key, according to officials on Tuesday.

"As we review all log data from July last year to November this year, we have confirmed that private data from more than 30 million accounts was leaked," Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung said during a parliamentary session. "The attack was carried out from June 24 to November 8," reports Yonhap news agency.

He said the attacker used Coupang's electronic signature key, which is required to access the company's servers.

Ryu said a police investigation is needed to identify the suspect, referring to reports of a purported former Coupang employee having emailed the company, claiming to have stolen more than 30 million items of personal information.

Last week, the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant said personal information of 33.7 million customers had been compromised, indicating that personal information, including names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery details for nearly all Coupang members, was affected.

Coupang, which provides overnight delivery of fresh food and daily necessities, is one of the most widely used shopping platforms in South Korea, with 34 million monthly active users in November, up 0.68 percent from a month earlier.

Meanwhile, South Korean shares extended their gains late Tuesday morning, buoyed by a strong performance in major chip stocks.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 63.79 points, or 1.63 percent, to 3,984.16, as of 11:20 a.m.

Most-large cap shares traded higher. Chip giant Samsung Electronics increased 2.48 percent, and rival SK hynix gained 3.72 percent.

Carmakers also gained momentum, with No. 1 automaker Hyundai Motor jumping 4.52 percent and Kia adding 3.38 percent.

In contrast, defense giant Hanwha Aerospace decreased 1.35 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution was down 0.36 percent.

The local currency was trading at 1,469.5 won against the greenback as of 11:20 a.m., up 0.4 won from the previous session's close.

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