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Coupang Interim CEO Testifies at Closed‑Door House Hearing Over 33.6 Million Data Breach

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  • Harold Rogers, interim CEO of e-commerce giant Coupang Corp., walks to a House hearing at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)
    Harold Rogers, interim CEO of e-commerce giant Coupang Corp., walks to a House hearing at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)
    Image: Yonhap
    Harold Rogers, interim CEO of e-commerce giant Coupang Corp., walks to a House hearing at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 23, 2026. (Yonhap) Source Full size

Harold Rogers Appears Before Judiciary Subcommittee Harold Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang, attended a closed‑door hearing of the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust Subcommittee on Feb. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C., as the U.S.-listed e‑commerce firm confronts a massive data breach investigation [1]. The session was not open to the press, and Rogers declined to answer reporters’ questions about the impact on South Korean consumers [1]. His appearance underscores the growing involvement of U.S. lawmakers in a breach that originated in South Korea [1].

Republican Leaders Issue Subpoena and Criticize Korean Policy Committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R‑OH) and subcommittee chair Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R‑WI) issued a subpoena demanding further testimony from Coupang, signaling heightened congressional pressure [1]. Both lawmakers criticized the South Korean government’s handling of American‑based firms, framing the issue as a matter of fair treatment for U.S. investors [1]. The subpoena aims to compel detailed disclosures about the breach and the company’s remedial actions [1].

Data Leak Affected Over 33.6 Million Customer Accounts joint public‑private investigation confirmed that the breach compromised more than 33.6 million customer accounts, intensifying regulatory scrutiny of the platform [1]. Because Coupang is listed on U.S. exchanges, it falls under American regulatory oversight, prompting the House Judiciary Committee’s involvement [1]. The scale of the leak has amplified calls for stronger data‑security measures and potential penalties for the company [1].

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Timeline

June 24, 2025 – Unauthorized access to delivery‑related personal information begins on overseas servers, allowing a former Chinese employee to retrieve basic data from roughly 33 million Coupang accounts[29][30].

Nov 18, 2025 – Coupang discovers the breach, initially reports about 4,500 compromised accounts, and notifies authorities within two days; later analysis shows the attack has exposed 33.7 million customers’ names, phone numbers, emails and addresses[26][29].

Nov 30, 2025 – Science Minister Bae Kyung‑hoon convenes an emergency meeting, CEO Park Dae‑jun publicly apologizes and pledges stronger data protection, while the government vows to use all legal measures and the Fair Trade Commission warns it may suspend Coupang’s operations[26][12].

Dec 2, 2025 – Class‑action lawsuits are filed by customers and former employees alleging mishandling of verification keys and demanding compensation for the massive data leak[25].

Dec 8, 2025 – The presidential chief of staff calls for swift safeguards against secondary damage, the Fair Trade Commission launches a probe into Coupang’s account‑deletion flow, and the Korea Media Communications Commission announces a fact‑finding investigation into the same practice[22][21][23].

Dec 9, 2025 – Police raid Coupang’s Seoul headquarters, searching for internal documents and evidence of how the breach occurred and targeting a Chinese‑national suspect named in the search warrant[20].

Dec 17, 2025 – Interim CEO Harold Rogers apologizes at a National Assembly hearing for the breach affecting over 33 million customers and says the company will finalize a compensation package after the investigation ends[19].

Dec 18, 2025 – A pan‑government task force is formed to investigate the breach, lawmakers discuss possible sanctions including suspension of operations, and the hearing highlights the need to apply the Information and Communications Network Act and Personal Information Protection Act[18].

Dec 30, 2025 – The National Intelligence Service publicly denies giving any instruction to Coupang, urges the Assembly to file a perjury complaint against Rogers, and Rogers testifies that the company acted on NIS orders—a claim the agency calls “groundless”[14].

Dec 31, 2025 – The government issues a joint statement vowing all legal measures, the Fair Trade Commission says it could suspend Coupang’s business, and the National Assembly files complaints against seven Coupang executives for alleged perjury and obstruction[12].

Jan 7, 2026 – Prosecutors request cooperation from Chinese authorities and Interpol to locate the former employee suspected of the leak; a court‑approved arrest warrant for the Chinese national was issued on Dec 8[11].

Jan 8, 2026 – Seoul Metropolitan Police summon Harold Rogers for questioning as part of a special task force probing the breach, alleged cover‑up of an industrial accident and deletion of website access logs[10].

Jan 12, 2026 – Rogers misses the first police summons; a second summons is issued, authorities consider an exit ban, and police announce they will verify the truth of his National Assembly testimony[9].

Jan 14, 2026 – The Personal Information Protection Commission orders Coupang to delete its unverified independent probe results, warning that the information could confuse the public ahead of the official investigation[8].

Jan 29, 2026 – After returning to Seoul, Rogers is scheduled for a 2 p.m. police interview on Friday, following his departure on Jan 1 and a two‑day parliamentary hearing on the breach[7].

Jan 30, 2026 – Rogers appears before police and says, “Coupang has fully and will continue to fully cooperate with all of the government investigations,” while investigators probe alleged evidence destruction and the authenticity of the company’s internal breach report[6].

Feb 5, 2026 – Police announce a perjury‑focused interview for Rogers on Friday, reiterating that he claimed NIS ordered the seizure of a Chinese national’s laptop—a claim the agency denies[5].

Feb 6, 2026 – Rogers attends a second police questioning on perjury, again pledging cooperation but refusing to comment on the accusations; investigators also examine possible obstruction of justice linked to the breach[3][4].

Feb 23, 2026 – Rogers appears at a closed‑door U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing on the data breach, declines to answer reporters’ questions about South Korean consumers, and faces a subpoena from Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald[2].

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