Coupang CEO Resigns Following Massive Data Breach at Online Retailer

We learned recently that Coupang, long known as South Korea’s largest online retailer, has suffered a major data breach. The company revealed that personal information from about 33.7 million customer accounts was exposed. This leak included names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses, and some order-history details. Shortly after this disclosure, Coupang’s CEO, Park Dae‑jun, resigned. As customers, sellers, and regulators reel from this news, we need to ask: how did it happen? And what will it mean for Coupang, and for trust in online retail?

Background on Coupang

Coupang has long stood out in South Korea’s e‑commerce scene as the go‑to platform for fast deliveries and wide product choice. It offered quick “rocket‑delivery” services and built a reputation for convenience and reliability. At its peak, Coupang served tens of millions of active customers. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, it reported roughly 24.7 million active users in its product‑commerce division. For many Koreans, shopping on Coupang became routine, from groceries, daily essentials, gifts, and almost everything. In such a model, trust and data security are more than conveniences: they are the backbone.

Details of the Data Breach

On November 29, 2025, Coupang disclosed that an unauthorized data breach had exposed 33.7 million accounts, nearly its entire user base. The company said the breach likely began on June 24, 2025, through overseas servers, and went undetected until November 18. The leaked data included personal info: names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical shipping addresses, and some order histories. Importantly, Coupang stated that payment details and login credentials were not compromised. The exact reason for the breach appears linked to an “insider threat.” Investigative reporting shows a former employee, reportedly no longer with the company, may have exploited lingering credentials to continue accessing the system long after departure. In other words, this was not a classic external hack where an unknown hacker forced entry, but a failure of internal safeguards and access control.

CEO Resignation

Faced with the scale of the breach and public outrage, Coupang responded swiftly: CEO Park Dae‑jun offered a public apology and stepped down. In an official message, he expressed regret for the ordeal customers were facing. The resignation signals that the company and its leadership are taking accountability. For many, it also marks a turning point: from convenience-first success to hard questions about governance, data safety, and ethics.

Impact on Coupang

The immediate damage is harsh. The breach eroded trust: many customers began to pause activity or leave the platform altogether. Small sellers, who rely heavily on Coupang for traffic and sales, are already feeling the pinch; some report orders dropping by 30% or more. Beyond short-term losses, Coupang now faces potential regulatory and financial consequences. Under South Korea’s data‑protection law, it may face a fine as high as 1 trillion won (approx. $770 million). Reputation damage may be longer-lasting. For a company built on “fast, reliable service,” losing customer trust, especially over privacy, is a serious blow.

Cybersecurity Concerns in E‑commerce

This incident highlights a hard truth: even major e‑commerce platforms can fall prey to internal oversight and insider threats. For companies handling massive amounts of personal data, external firewalls are not enough. Weaknesses like leftover access tokens, outdated internal key management, and lack of timely credential revocation, especially after staff leave, can be just as dangerous as external hacking.  

For customers, the breach may mean a higher risk of phishing attempts, scams, and unwanted contact, because exposed names, addresses, and phone numbers can be misused. Observers have already warned of “suspicious login attempts, overseas payment approvals, and smishing (SMS scams).”  This makes clear: data safety must be a priority, not an afterthought. For e‑commerce firms globally, Coupang’s breach may well become a case study, a warning.

Conclusion

The data breach at Coupang, affecting nearly 34 million customers, has shaken confidence in one of South Korea’s most popular e‑commerce platforms. The fallout has been swift: a CEO resigned, public trust wavered, and small sellers feel threatened. This episode should remind us that no matter how advanced a business is, if it fails basic data security, especially internal access control,  the consequences can be huge. As we move increasingly online, for shopping, work, and daily life, it is essential that companies protect user data not just as a legal duty, but as a foundation of trust.

For users everywhere, this is a call to stay alert: use strong, unique passwords and enable multi‑factor authentication where possible. For companies, it’s a call to double down on data security, transparency, and accountability.

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Disclaimer:

The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.