New Coupang CEO’s ‘empty’ pledge for compensation stokes outrage

Harold Rogers, interim chief executive officer of Coupang, answers lawmakers’ questions during a parliamentary hearing on the company’s data breach at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Coupang’s founder Kim Bom-suk came under bipartisan fire Wednesday after refusing to appear at a National Assembly hearing on the company's massive customer data breach affecting more than 33 million people, with lawmakers lashing out at him for evading responsibility.

The much-awaited hearing took place without the presence of the company's founder, also known as Bom Kim, who is the chairman of Coupang Inc., the parent company of its Korean unit, Coupang Corp. He said days earlier that he would be unable to attend because he lives overseas and was busy with commitments in his capacity as chief executive of the global company.

Instead, the top executive to attend was Harold Rogers, who was appointed as the Korean unit’s interim CEO only a week earlier, after his predecessor Park Dae-jun resigned — an appointment and attendance widely interpreted as a shield for Kim.

Lawmakers on the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee condemned Kim for showing a "disregard for both the Assembly and Korean consumers."

"We will take steps to launch a full parliamentary investigation," said committee chair Rep. Choi Min-hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), adding that Kim should be held responsible in accordance with the law and procedures.

Rep. Choi Hyung-du of the People Power Party (PPP) pointed out that executives of much larger global firms, such as Meta and Amazon, have appeared before U.S. Congress when summoned. “It is unacceptable to hide behind the title of a global CEO while refusing to face lawmakers over a major incident,” he said.

"It is cowardly that he tries to avoid the situation by having a foreigner, who can't speak Korean, attend on his behalf," apparently describing Rogers' attendance.

Rep. Kim Hyun of the DPK echoed this criticism, pointing out that around 90 percent of the company’s revenue is generated in Korea.

Rogers, in his role, apologized to Korean customers and said that the company is preparing a compensation plan for affected users. “We are currently reviewing a compensation package internally,” he said, adding that the company is cooperating closely with multiple regulatory authorities.

He added, “Once the facts are fully confirmed through ongoing investigations, we will announce a responsible compensation plan for our customers.”

Brett Matthes, chief information security officer for Coupang, answers lawmakers’ questions during a parliamentary hearing on the company’s data breach at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Rogers emphasized that he is the executive in charge of Coupang’s operations in Korea and would respond to lawmakers’ questions on behalf of the company. However, when asked whether Kim would personally apologize for the incident, Rogers said he had not discussed the matter with the chairman. He added that he has apologized as the head of the Korean unit, and that the company has expressed regret.

The hearing also focused on Coupang’s internal security practices and measures to prevent future cybersecurity incidents. Brett Matthes, Coupang’s chief information security officer, said the company took immediate steps after detecting the breach, including disabling compromised credentials and strengthening access controls.

Matthes told lawmakers that Coupang is reviewing its overall security framework in coordination with regulators and external cybersecurity experts. He also said that the company plans to introduce passkey-based authentication in Korea in the first half of 2026, following an earlier rollout in Taiwan. The move is intended to strengthen account security, particularly as the company manages a large user base.

Addressing questions over the timing, Matthes said, “It is very common for a multinational company to roll out a new feature into a smaller marketplace first,” adding that “there are just complexities involved in rolling out across a large user base.”

Lawmakers also criticized what they described as Coupang’s lack of cooperation, pointing to incomplete document submissions and the absence of key figures. Later in the day, the committee filed complaints against Kim and other executives who failed to appear, citing possible violations of the law governing testimony before the Assembly.

As the hearing concluded, both ruling and opposition lawmakers agreed that further action would be necessary. The committee said it would discuss the scope and timing of a parliamentary investigation.