South Korean President Calls Emergency Meeting on Coupang Data Leak
Updated (2 articles)
High‑Level Emergency Session Convened On December 25, the presidential office summoned a ministerial‑level emergency meeting to address the Coupang breach, chaired by chief of staff Kim Yong‑beom. Attendees included Science Minister Bae Kyung‑hoon, the Personal Information Protection Commission chair, and senior officials from the National Police Agency, National Intelligence Service, and other investigative bodies[1][2]. The gathering signaled a coordinated governmental response across multiple agencies.
Government Emphasizes National‑Security Implications Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and representatives from the National Security Office joined the session, indicating that authorities will examine Coupang’s lobbying activities in the United States alongside data‑protection concerns[1][2]. Their involvement suggests the breach is being treated as a matter of diplomatic and security relevance, not merely a corporate incident.
President Lee’s Prior Criticism Sets Tone Earlier in December, President Lee Jae Myung publicly rebuked Coupang during a finance‑ministry briefing, accusing the company’s leadership of being “not afraid of punishment”[1][2]. This criticism framed the government’s hard‑line stance and underscored the political pressure surrounding the investigation.
Dispute Over Company’s Recovery Claim Coupang announced it had recovered all personal data for roughly 3,000 customers and asserted no information left the firm, but the administration labeled the statement unilateral and noted that a joint investigation’s findings remain pending[1]. The company also identified a former employee who allegedly confessed to accessing the data, adding a criminal dimension to the case[1].
Sources (2 articles)
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[1]
Yonhap:Presidential office holds emergency meeting on Coupang data leak: Details the convened holiday session, attendees from science, security, and intelligence agencies, and notes the government’s dispute of Coupang’s data‑recovery claim.
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[2]
Yonhap:Presidential office to hold emergency meeting over Coupang data leak: Announces the planned emergency meeting, lists expected high‑level participants, and highlights President Lee’s earlier criticism of the e‑commerce giant.
Timeline
Early Dec 2025 – President Lee Jae Myung publicly rebukes Coupang at a finance‑ministry briefing, declaring, “Those people are not afraid of punishment at all,” signaling a hard‑line stance that frames the government’s forthcoming actions on the breach. [1][2]
Dec 25 2025 02:51 UTC – The presidential office announces an emergency meeting later that day, chaired by chief‑of‑staff Kim Yong‑beom and attended by the science minister, regulatory chairs and the National Police Agency, to coordinate a rapid response to the Coupang data leak. [2]
Dec 25 2025 13:04 UTC – The emergency ministerial meeting convenes on the holiday, drawing foreign minister Cho Hyun, National Security Office officials and senior NIS personnel, underscoring the breach’s diplomatic and national‑security dimensions and hinting at a probe into Coupang’s U.S. lobbying. [1][2]
Dec 25 2025 – Coupang reports that it has recovered all leaked personal information for roughly 3,000 customers and asserts that no data left the company, but the government disputes the claim, noting that a joint private‑government investigation has yet to release findings. [1]
Dec 25 2025 – Coupang identifies a former employee as the source of the leak, obtains a confession and a detailed account of how the employee accessed customer data, providing crucial forensic evidence for the ongoing inquiry. [1]