South Korean authorities have imposed a record-breaking high quality of $624 billion gained (over $400 million) on retail big Coupang after a knowledge breach final 12 months compromised the private knowledge of greater than 34 million prospects.
Seoul’s Private Info Safety Fee issued the utmost penalty on Thursday following discovery of the breach in December 2025. The retail big, which is headquartered within the U.S. however in style in South Korea and likened to the “Amazon of Asia,” had stated the months-long knowledge breach allowed a former worker to acquire names, e mail and delivery addresses, cellphone numbers and order histories of about two-thirds of South Korea’s inhabitants.
Coupang advised BBC News that it plans to problem the regulator’s determination. The high quality represents a uncommon case of a monetary penalty issued in opposition to a U.S.-based agency. Korean lawmakers have accused a few of their American counterparts of imposing political stress after experiences that U.S. representatives have been linking the info breach with U.S.-South Korean bilateral ties in response to the case in opposition to Coupang’s executives.
U.S. firms hardly ever face monetary sanctions or legal prosecution for knowledge breaches because of missing legal guidelines and enforcement powers.
