Coupang data leak threatens South Korea-US ties amid tariff tensions
The breach, which has fuelled public anger, shows how a domestic corporate scandal can escalate into a diplomatic flashpoint
The US-listed company that provides e-commerce, entertainment streaming and food delivery services to nearly 34 million South Koreans – more than 60 per cent of the population – last November disclosed a massive data leak exposing the personal information of 33.7 million people.
Coupang on Thursday confirmed in a statement that the data of another 165,000 users was leaked in the breach, but that no payment details or login information were compromised and users had been notified as per government guidance.
In a signal of the diplomatic implications of the fallout, US Vice-President J.D. Vance in late January warned South Korea against “penalising” American technology firms.
In America, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee said on social media that “this is what happens when you unfairly target American companies like Coupang”.
