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[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Following revelations that the personal data of 33.7 million Coupang customers was leaked without authorization, affected users have begun taking legal action. The first damages lawsuit was filed just three days after the data breach became public.
According to legal sources on December 1, fourteen Coupang users filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court seeking 200,000 won in compensation per person. Attorney Gwak Jun-ho of Cheong Law Firm, representing the plaintiffs, said the lawsuit was filed preemptively to prevent delays in relief while the full scope of the leak is still being investigated.
The plaintiffs claim their sensitive personal information—including names, phone numbers, emails, order histories, and delivery address books—was exposed, increasing the risk of privacy violations and secondary harms such as voice phishing. Some address books even contained shared-entry door passwords, which plaintiffs argue created a “severe breach revealing personal living patterns and residence details.”
Under Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act, data subjects may claim damages for harm caused by violations, and data controllers must prove they were not negligent or at fault to avoid liability. The complaint also notes that Coupang allegedly failed to detect unauthorized access to an overseas server for five months, despite it beginning in June.
More lawsuits are expected to follow. Online communities—including Naver cafes and KakaoTalk groups—are rapidly recruiting additional plaintiffs. One “Coupang Victims Class Action” group has surpassed 80,000 members, while a separate “Hacking Victims Group” has exceeded 50,000. Organizers say they are preparing coordinated legal action with major law firms.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
