Coupang founder Kim Bom apologizes over massive data breach

Founder of renowned e-commerce company Coupang, Kim Bom-Suk issued a public apology on Sunday, December 28, 2025, over a massive customer data breach at the e-commerce platform, saying the incident caused “great concern and inconvenience” to customers and the public.

The belated apology from the Coupang boss came nearly a month after the data leak was disclosed, as the government and the National Assembly have been stepping up their pressure to hold the e-commerce giant responsible for the incident.

However, despite being apologetic, Kim Bom again refused to attend an Assembly hearing slated for Tuesday and Wednesday.

“As the founder and chair of Coupang’s board, I sincerely apologize on behalf of all employees,” Kim said in a statement over the incident, in which about 33.7 million customers' information was allegedly leaked.

He acknowledged that many customers were left feeling uneasy about the security of their personal information and admitted that Coupang failed to communicate clearly in the early stages of the incident.

“I deeply regret the inadequate initial response and lack of communication,” he said, adding that his apology came too late.

Kim said Coupang has worked with the government over the past month to recover all leaked customer information and prevent further harm, while also pledging sweeping reforms.

“Looking back, it was a mistake not to express my apology and deep regret from the very beginning,” Kim said.

“We will rebuild trust from the ground up and fundamentally overhaul our data security measures to ensure this never happens again," he added.

Additionally, the company informed last week that all users’ leaked data has been deleted after the culprit was identified.