Coupang Posts Record 2025 Sales While Founder Apologizes for 33.6 Million‑Account Breach
Updated (2 articles)
Record 2025 Revenue and Net Income Surge Coupang’s 2025 sales reached 49.11 trillion won, an 18.9 % increase year‑on‑year, while net income more than tripled to 303 billion won and operating profit rose 12.7 % to 679 billion won, marking a company high despite the breach impact[1][2].
Q4 Operating Profit Collapse Tied to Data Breach In the fourth quarter ending December, operating profit plunged 97 % to 11.5 billion won and the firm posted a net loss of 37.7 billion won, even though sales grew 15 % to 12.81 trillion won, a downturn attributed directly to breach‑related costs[1][2].
Data Breach Exposes Over 33.6 Million User Accounts A joint public‑private inspection revised the breach scope from an initial 3,000 accounts to more than 33.6 million compromised accounts, prompting Coupang to offer each affected user a 50,000‑won compensation package[1][2].
Founder Kim Bom‑suk Issues First Personal Apology Founder and board chairman Kim Bom‑suk delivered his first verbal apology during the Q4 earnings call, following a written apology issued in late December, and pledged to restore customer trust and improve security measures[1][2].
Sources
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1.
Yonhap: Coupang Reports Record 2025 Sales as Founder Apologizes for Massive Data Breach: Highlights record‑high 2025 sales and net income, revises breach impact to 33.6 million accounts, notes 50,000‑won compensation and Kim’s first verbal apology.
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2.
Yonhap: Coupang Q4 Operating Profit Falls 97% After Data Breach; Founder Apologizes in Person: Details the 97 % profit drop, 15 % sales rise, breach exposure revision, and Kim’s in‑person apology, while confirming full‑year record results despite the incident.
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Timeline
2025 – Coupang posts record full‑year sales of 49.11 trillion won, up 18.9 % YoY, and net income more than triples to 303 billion won, while operating profit rises 12.7 % to 679 billion won, underscoring its dominant e‑commerce position [1][2].
Q4 2025 (quarter ending Dec 31, 2025) – Sales climb 15 % to 12.81 trillion won, but operating profit plunges 97 % to 11.5 billion won and the firm posts a net loss of 37.7 billion won, reflecting the emerging cost of a data breach that began in December [2].
Late Dec 2025 – Founder and board chairman Kim Bom‑suk issues a written apology for the breach, acknowledging the incident and promising corrective action [2].
Early 2026 (joint public‑private inspection) – Authorities and Coupang’s internal team revise the breach scope from an initial 3,000 accounts to over 33.6 million user accounts exposed, dramatically expanding the liability picture [1][2].
Feb 26 2026 – On the Q4 earnings call, Kim Bom‑suk apologizes in person, saying “the company must earn customer trust,” and warns that “the incident negatively affected fourth‑quarter revenue growth, active customers, paid Wow membership uptake, and overall profitability,” while pledging security improvements [2].
Feb 26 2026 – Coupang announces a compensation package of 50,000 won per affected user, a move analysts link to the sharp operating‑profit swing and quarterly loss [1].
Feb 27 2026 – The company publicly confirms that despite the breach, 2025 sales hit a historic high and net income more than triples, emphasizing resilience and future growth plans [1].