Founder’s Written Apology Acknowledges Massive Leak On December 28, Kim Bom‑suk, Coupang’s founder and chairman, released a written apology on behalf of all employees for a data breach that exposed personal information of roughly 34 million customers, about two‑thirds of the nation’s population [1][2]. He admitted that postponing the apology to verify facts was a misjudgment and expressed regret for the delay [1][2]. The statement framed the incident as a breach of consumer trust and highlighted the company’s intent to take responsibility.

Forensic Investigation Points to Insider and Confessed Hacker Coupang’s internal forensic team identified a former employee as the source of the leak and recovered the hardware used in the intrusion [1][2]. The company also reported that the hacker who accessed the data later confessed to the wrongdoing [1][2]. These findings were presented by the firm before any joint public‑private investigation results were released.

Government Labels Company Findings Unilateral, Awaits Joint Probe South Korean officials criticized Coupang’s unilateral disclosure, emphasizing that a collaborative investigation between public authorities and the company has not yet produced conclusions [1][2]. The government signaled that it expects a comprehensive joint report and warned that current disclosures do not close the case [1][2]. This dispute underscores ongoing tension over investigative scope and accountability.

Founder and Executives Decline Parliamentary Hearing, Lawmakers React Kim Bom‑suk announced he would not attend the scheduled parliamentary hearing, citing a pre‑arranged schedule, and his brother Yoo Kim and former CEO Kang Han‑seung issued similar non‑appearance statements [1][2]. Lawmakers responded by threatening to file a formal complaint against Kim for evading the hearing [1]. The political pressure reflects broader demands for transparency and clearer disclosures from Coupang.