Coupang hit with record 423.6 trillion won fine for massive data breach

South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) imposed a record fine of 423.6 trillion won (about 410 million USD) on e‑commerce giant Coupang for a large‑scale data leak that exposed personal details of roughly 37.5 million users, including names, phone numbers and delivery information. An additional penalty of 201.1 trillion won was levied for illegally collecting online activity data of 11.17 million users without consent. The combined sanctions represent the highest penalty ever issued by PIPC, more than three times the previous record set against SK Telecom. The investigation highlighted lax security management and delayed reporting of the breach. The case has added strain to South Korea–U.S. relations, with U.S. politicians questioning the fairness of the investigation and Korean lawmakers warning against excessive pressure from abroad.