Coupang said on the 26th that its findings on the personal information leak, which it released on the 25th, were "an investigation carried out over several weeks in close daily cooperation with the government, in accordance with government instructions."
Coupang issued a press release the same day, saying, "As the false claim that we conducted an independent investigation without government oversight keeps being raised, unnecessary anxiety is being created," and added, "Because the data leak has caused great concern to the public, we want to make clear the facts about our cooperation with the government."
Coupang said, "The government suggested contacting the leaker," adding, "In cooperation with the government, Coupang was cautious about how to communicate with the leaker and the choice of words, and first met the leaker on the 14th." It continued, "On the 16th, in accordance with government instructions, we conducted an initial retrieval of the information leaker's desktop and hard drive, reported to the government, and provided them immediately," and explained, "At the time, the government asked Coupang to retrieve additional devices from the leaker."
Coupang said that on the 18th it retrieved the leaker's laptop from a nearby stream and, in accordance with government instructions, deployed a forensics team to secure physical evidence and document the evidence, then immediately handed the laptop over to the government. It emphasized that, with government authorization, it submitted the hard drive, laptop, and three written statements to the police on the 21st.
Coupang said, "Even though we were unfairly criticized for not responding seriously to the information leak, we strictly complied with the government's instructions to maintain confidentiality of the investigative process and not to disclose detailed investigative matters," and added, "At the government's request on the 23rd, we held an additional briefing on the details of the investigation, including areas of cooperation between Coupang and the government, and on the 25th we informed customers about the progress of the investigation."
It added that "while fully cooperating with the ongoing government investigation, we will take all necessary measures to prevent secondary damage."
The previous day, Coupang identified a former employee who leaked information and announced findings that, in the process of retrieving the devices used, it determined there was no indication of an external leak. The government expressed strong displeasure that Coupang distributed materials without consultation. It took issue with the fact that Coupang unilaterally disclosed to the public matters being investigated by the joint public-private task force.