Following a massive data breach affecting over 33 million users, Coupang founder Kim Bom publicly apologized on Monday, acknowledging the inconvenience caused and announcing a compensation package worth $1.8 billion (1.69 trillion won).
According to Reuters, the company revealed that each affected customer would receive vouchers worth 50,000 won.
However, the decision to provide compensation exclusively as vouchers redeemable only on Coupang’s own platforms has drawn widespread criticism from users, lawmakers, and consumer advocacy groups.
Choi Min-hee, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and chair of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communication committee, criticized the move on Facebook, stating that Coupang was “bundling coupons for services no one uses,” and suggested the company was attempting to turn the crisis into a business opportunity.
The Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations also condemned the plan, saying it trivialized the severity of the breach and appeared more as a marketing tactic to drive additional purchases than genuine restitution for affected users.
Some analysts believe the compensation strategy may have been motivated by a desire to maintain investor confidence rather than benefit customers, as Coupang shares rose 6.5% to $24.27 on Friday, December 26, 2025.
Although Coupang has admitted negligence and apologized for the data leak, the company has refused to appear before parliament. South Korea’s National Assembly, however, has scheduled two days of hearings on the matter starting Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
