Massive Data Breach at Coupang Sparks Investigation and Lawsuit Threats

South Korea's Coupang, the e-commerce giant backed by SoftBank, experienced the country's gravest data breach in over a decade. Over 33 million customers' data was compromised. Authorities are investigating tech vulnerabilities, possible violations, and suspect a former Chinese employee's involvement. Legal actions loom as customers plan a class action.

Coupang, South Korea's leading e-commerce platform, is under intense scrutiny following a significant data breach affecting more than 33 million customers. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the breach, which exposed personal details but not payment information.

According to South Korean Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, the attack exploited authentication vulnerabilities on Coupang's servers. A former employee may have played a key role, using an active authentication key post-termination to access sensitive data.

The breach, which went unnoticed for months, has prompted a potential class action lawsuit involving over 10,000 affected customers. Coupang's rapid growth and expansion into food delivery, streaming, and fintech continue amid this cybersecurity challenge.

(With inputs from agencies.)