A call was raised at the National Policy Committee of the National Assembly to file a complaint against Bom Kim, chairperson of the Coupang Inc. board, who has repeatedly failed to appear at the National Assembly's audits and emergency inquiries, citing overseas stays. After he also did not show up for questions related to the massive personal data leak affecting as many as 33.7 million cases following this year's audit, members said measures to hold him accountable through a complaint should follow.
Yoon Han-hong, chairperson of the National Policy Committee from the People Power Party, said during an emergency inquiry held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 3rd, "We asked Chairperson Bom Kim to attend the committee, but he did not," adding, "As chairperson, I express strong regret." Shin Jang-sik of the Rebuilding Korea Party said, "CEO Park Dae-jun says, 'This incident happened at the Korean entity and is my responsibility,' but Kim holds more than 74% of the voting rights of Coupang Inc., which holds 100% equity in Coupang Korea, and 90% of Coupang's total sales occur in Korea," adding, "(Kim) is not responding to the National Assembly's call on the grounds that he is a U.S. citizen and Coupang Inc. is listed in the United States." He continued, "He also failed to appear before the committee for this year's audit, citing an overseas stay. He should be accused."
Kang Min-guk of the People Power Party, the opposition secretary of the National Policy Committee, also said, "Chairperson Bom Kim, a 'black-haired foreigner,' is making money in Korea by using Korea's infrastructure and Korean people's information, yet takes no responsibility for the data leak incident that occurred in Korea." Lee Heon-seung of the People Power Party said, "(Kim) was called as a witness twice for the audit but did not come," asking, "The committee is even considering filing a complaint; why won't he show up?" When CEO Park said he had not met Kim in Korea even once this year, Lee pressed, "Does he not come to Korea even for a week in a year?"
In the process, criticism also emerged that this incident was a "foreseen accident." Citing the failure to introduce a passkey in Korea that meets global standards, Lee said, "Coupang in Taiwan reportedly developed and introduced a passkey that meets global standards. Why wasn't it introduced in Korea?" A passkey is an authentication method that uses facial recognition, fingerprints, or a PIN instead of a password. It is used by corporations as a measure to strengthen security because it carries less risk of external hacking and theft. CEO Park said, "We will review ways to introduce passkeys in Korea as soon as possible."
There were also calls to investigate whether there were any financial incidents due to Coupang's "One ID" policy. The One ID policy refers to a system in which signing up with a single ID for Coupang automatically enrolls the user in Coupang Pay. Kim Hyun-jung of the Democratic Party of Korea said, "(This incident) means the gateway to access Coupang Pay was breached," adding, "We must also verify whether there were any financial incidents."
In response, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin said, "Regarding the One ID policy, Coupang and Coupang Pay are using the platform under a pre-agreed arrangement. Only Coupang Pay is designated as an electronic financial business operator, so there are limits to regulation," but added, "Yesterday (on the 2nd), we began an on-site inspection of Coupang Pay. As we confirm facts, we will decide whether to conduct an examination and respond proactively." Yoon Chang-ryeol, Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, conveyed an opinion that the FSS would be included in a government joint investigation team to review information related to Coupang.
Personal Information Protection Commission Chairperson Song Kyung-hee said, "In cooperation with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korean National Police Agency, we will not only work to prevent secondary damage such as smishing but also devise ways to enhance the effectiveness of the punitive damages system."