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Korea’s Coupang says data breach exposed nearly 34M customers’ personalinformation

Coupang, a major South Korean e-commerce platform, reported a data breach affecting nearly 34 million customers, revealing personal details such as names and addresses. The breach, ongoing since June 2025, was discovered on November 18. Coupang has notified authorities, improved security measures, and identified a suspect, a former employee. Sensitive payment data was not compromised.

Key points

  • Coupang detected unauthorized access to 4,500 accounts on November 18, 2025.
  • Further investigation revealed that the breach impacted approximately 33.7 million customer accounts.
  • Compromised information includes names, emails, phone numbers, shipping addresses, and order histories.
  • Coupang reported the incident to the Korea Internet Security Agency, Personal Information Protection Commission, and the National Police Agency.
  • The breach is believed to have started on June 24, 2025, via overseas servers.
  • Coupang blocked the access route and sought help from an independent security firm for monitoring.
  • Authorities have identified a suspect, a former Chinese employee of Coupang, now located abroad.
  • This incident is part of a rise in cybersecurity issues faced by South Korean companies, with a history of data breaches at Coupang.

Why it matters

  • The breach aligns with increasing global cybersecurity threats affecting major companies.
  • In 2023, South Korea faced numerous data security incidents, highlighting a growing trend in cyber vulnerabilities.
  • With the rise of digital commerce, e-commerce platforms like Coupang are at higher risk for breaches, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity practices.
  • Past breaches at Coupang, including incidents in 2020, 2021, and December 2023, demonstrate a pattern of vulnerabilities that require attention.

Coupang's data breach underscores persistent cybersecurity threats, with nearly 34 million customer records exposed. This incident highlights the necessity for strong protective measures, especially in the swiftly evolving digital landscape of e-commerce.