SEOUL: US-listed South Korean e-commerce company Coupang confirmed on Thursday (Feb 5) that the data of an additional 165,000 users was leaked in a major security breach, which a South Korean government official said had shaken the country’s alliance with the US.
Coupang Korea has been under a South Korean government probe over the leak last year of personal data affecting more than 33 million customers, which has created friction between the allies over trade and security ties.
Coupang said on Thursday it had identified additional customers affected by November’s leak, which involved contact details, including names, phone numbers and addresses. No payment details or login information were compromised and users have been notified per government guidance, it said in a statement.
Coupang Korea, operated by Coupang and which generates most of the parent company’s revenue, has faced a public and lawmaker backlash following the disclosure of last year’s leak.
The breach, affecting two-thirds of the South Korean population, has triggered wide-ranging police and regulatory investigations and lawsuits against the company as well as complaints from US investors and lawmakers that an American company was being targeted with discriminatory actions.
Coupang is also facing a tax audit in South Korea and a legal complaint filed by the country’s parliament against its founder and former executives.
Wi Sung-lac, the South Korean presidential national security adviser, said the Coupang issue is affecting a range of key trade and security matters between the allies, in an interview with the Kyunghyang daily published on Thursday.
Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on South Korean goods to 25 per cent from 15 per cent was “linked” to the Coupang matter and several other issues Washington is focusing on, including a South Korean move to tighten regulation against digital platform operators that could affect US firms.
“We have set up ties with the US, China and Japan but one pillar of that is being shaken by the talk of raising tariffs,” Wi said.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for tough penalties for negligence over data breaches, saying the Coupang leak should serve as a wake-up call.
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