Coupang founder to again shun parliamentary hearing on massive data leak

Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, July 8, 2022. Courtesy of Coupang

Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk has said he would not appear for a parliamentary hearing this week over the e-commerce giant's massive data breach, a lawmaker said Sunday, in what would be another absence of his over the hearing over the breach that affected nearly 34 million people.

Kim has submitted a statement on his non-appearance for the hearing scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Rep. Choi Min-hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

According to the lawmaker, Kim, the chairman of the board at Coupang, said he was unable to attend the hearing due to his current residence overseas and a "prearranged schedule."

Kim's brother and the current head of Coupang's global operational excellence, Yoo Kim, and Kang Han-seung, the former CEO of Coupang's Korea unit, submitted a similar statement of non-appearance, according to the lawmaker.

"We will of course, once again, disapprove," Choi wrote in a social media post. Choi also chairs the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee.

On Thursday, Coupang said it had identified the former employee responsible for the data leak using forensic evidence, recovered the equipment used in the hacking and received a confession from the hacker.

The government, however, has called the investigation results a "unilateral claim," noting that a joint public-private investigation of the case launched last month has yet to release any findings.