Presidential office calls for implementation of preventive measures after Coupang's data breach

Kang Hoon-sik, second from right, the presidential chief of staff, attends a policy briefing by the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development held at the presidential office in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

The presidential office on Monday called for the swift implementation of measures to prevent secondary damage following a massive personal data leak from e-commerce giant Coupang.

Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, made the call during a meeting with senior aides, as public concern continues to grow over the breach by the U.S.-listed company, which affected more than 30 million users.

"There are concerns that the leaked personal information could be exploited for online scams or unauthorized use of credit cards," Kang said. "Coupang must present clear measures outlining how it will take responsibility if damages occur."

Kang also cited recent media reports alleging that Coupang's customer terms include provisions that may effectively grant the company immunity from customer damage, according to vice presidential spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong.

He called for a review to determine whether the clauses are unfair to consumers and, if so, for corrective orders to be issued, Ahn added.

Last month, Coupang disclosed that the personal information of 33.7 million customers — nearly its entire user base — had been compromised, including their names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery details.

In a notice Sunday, Coupang said no financial information and login credentials were compromised, noting police have found no evidence of secondary damage.