New details emerge in the Coupang data breach saga: a former Chinese developer is the prime suspect, raising alarms over foreign worker vetting. A U.S. class-action suit gains over 2,300 applicants, while President Lee Jae Myung pushes for harsher data leak penalties.
Police have named a former Chinese developer, employed for two years with access to key security systems, as the main suspect in the Coupang breach exposed last month. Industry experts call this access unusual, spotlighting risks in the U.S.-listed firm's hiring of about 1,000 foreign workers in Korea via flexible D-7 and D-8 visas—10% of its local staff—exacerbated by remote work.
Building on earlier U.S. law firm probes into securities issues and stock drops following disclosures and a key resignation, a class-action in New York's Southern District now has 2,346 applicants, led by SJKP LLP. It targets governance lapses, distinct from Korean cases.
On December 12, President Lee Jae Myung, at a Personal Information Protection Commission briefing, advocated fines up to 3% of peak annual sales (potentially 10% for severe cases), amid Coupang's 24.7 million Q3 active users.
