South Korea’s largest online retailer, Coupang, announced on Wednesday that CEO Park Dae-jun has resigned after a major data breach exposed personal information belonging to more than 33 million customers.
In a statement, the company said it “deeply apologises for causing concerns to the public,” and vowed to strengthen security measures and restore customer trust. Harold Rogers, chief administrative officer of Coupang’s U.S. parent company, will serve as interim CEO.
The breach, one of the worst in South Korea’s history, is believed to have begun in June. Coupang said the stolen data included names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses and parts of customers’ order histories. Payment details and login credentials were not compromised.
The fallout continues to expand. Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the government would conduct a full investigation and take “stern action” if the company is found to have violated any laws. Police also raided Coupang’s Seoul office this week as part of their probe.
Coupang, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, has been under growing pressure since revealing the breach late last month, prompting widespread criticism in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
