South Korean authorities have imposed a record-breaking high quality of $624 billion received (over $400 million) on retail big Coupang after an information breach final 12 months compromised the non-public information of greater than 34 million prospects.
Seoul’s Private Info Safety Fee issued the utmost penalty on Thursday following discovery of the breach in December 2025. The retail big, which is headquartered within the U.S. however well-liked in South Korea and likened to the “Amazon of Asia,” had mentioned the months-long information breach allowed a former worker to acquire names, electronic mail and delivery addresses, cellphone numbers and order histories of about two-thirds of South Korea’s inhabitants.
Coupang informed BBC News that it plans to problem the regulator’s choice. The high quality represents a uncommon case of a monetary penalty issued in opposition to a U.S.-based agency. Korean lawmakers have accused a few of their American counterparts of imposing political stress after stories that U.S. representatives have been linking the information breach with U.S.-South Korean bilateral ties in response to the case in opposition to Coupang’s executives.
U.S. corporations hardly ever face monetary sanctions or legal prosecution for information breaches because of missing legal guidelines and enforcement powers.
