Police mull overseas travel ban on Coupang chief in data breach investigation

Coupang interim CEO Harold Rogers answers questions from lawmakers during a National Assembly hearing in Seoul, Dec. 31, 2025. Yonhap

Police are considering imposing a travel ban on Coupang interim CEO Harold Rogers after he refused to appear for questioning over an investigation into the online retailer's massive data breach.

Rogers was summoned for questioning on Jan. 5 but failed to comply without providing a reason. "We've summoned him again, and we believe he will appear for the second one," Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo told reporters Monday.

The user data breach affecting some 33.7 million Coupang customers was disclosed in November, but the company is suspected of downplaying its scale through its own internal investigation. The company said it seized and analyzed a laptop used by the suspect, a former employee, and claimed that the personal information of only 3,000 customers had been copied.

At the time, the company said, “Coupang and government authorities have been working tirelessly together to provide an update” on the case. The Korean government, however, disputed the claim, saying the announcement was made by Coupang “unilaterally” and that there had been no such joint investigation between the government and the company.

Complaints were filed against Rogers and other executives on suspicion of destruction of evidence and obstruction of public officials' duties.

“Coupang argued that the data breach affected some 3,000 customers, but police believe the figure stands at a much higher level,” Park said.

Park said the authorities are leaving open the possibility of imposing an overseas travel ban on Rogers.

“We cannot figure out the exact extent of compromised customer data, as we are still investigating goods confiscated from Coupang,” he said.

An employee works at Coupang's logistics center in Seoul, Dec. 29, 2025. Yonhap

As Coupang is headquartered in the United States, some critics have raised concerns that Korea’s intensifying investigation into the company could spark trade friction between the two countries.

Reflecting on the concerns, Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said the government will make it clear to U.S. authorities that the ongoing investigation into Coupang does not target any specific U.S. platform firms unfairly.

“The Korean government never takes any discriminatory approach toward a specific U.S. firm,” Yeo told reporters after arriving at Washington's Dulles International Airport, Sunday (local time).

He added that the focus of the investigation is on Coupang’s inadequate response to the massive data breach scandal.

“We are dealing fairly with the incident, so the case should be managed in a completely separate manner from any trade or diplomatic affairs,” he said.

On Monday, Fair Trade Commission Chairman Ju Biung-ghi said his agency is considering imposing a business suspension on Coupang in Korea.

“We will order Coupang to rectify its business practices after figuring out the estimated harm to customers from the data leak and what Coupang’s appropriate damage relief measures should be,” Ju said in a local YouTube broadcast.

If Coupang declines to abide by the order, the watchdog can order the company to halt its business here, according to Ju.