It has emerged that e-commerce corporations Coupang used different wording between the Korean and English versions of its statement disclosing the results of its internal probe into a consumer data leak. Earlier, Coupang posted a notice implying that personal information had been exposed, then, after criticism, changed the wording to a personal information leak.
According to the statement on the internal probe into the personal information leak posted on Coupang's website on the 28th, it said, "Coupang's investigation was not an internal investigation. It was an investigation carried out over several weeks in close daily cooperation with the government, in accordance with government instructions." It added, "As the (government's) false claim that we conducted an independent investigation without government oversight continues to be raised, unnecessary anxiety is being created."
However, in the English version of the statement, which translates this, there appears to be a word that is subtly different from the Korean version. The part phrased as "unnecessary anxiety" in the Korean version was rendered in the English version as "false insecurity."
Also, in the sentence "despite receiving 'unfair criticism' from government agencies, the National Assembly, and some media that 'Coupang did not respond seriously to the information leak incident,'" the phrase "unfair criticism" was rendered as "falsely accused."
This underscores Coupang's position that, because a large-scale leak of consumer information did not actually occur, consumers are feeling "false insecurity," and it is receiving "false accusations" from government agencies, the National Assembly, and the media. As Coupang is listed on the U.S. stock market, U.S. investors are likely to take this as fact. On the 26th in New York, Coupang Inc., the parent of Coupang, closed at $24.27, up 6.45% from the previous trading day.
However, in this process, the situation showing a standoff between Coupang and the government over Coupang's internal probe announcement was not properly conveyed. Coupang's position is that it investigated the facts in cooperation with the government and communicated closely, but the "government" it refers to does not appear to be the police, who are leading the investigation.
There also remains controversy over how trustworthy the results are that Coupang, which was pointed out for system deficiencies related to the personal information leak and put on the disciplinary list, disclosed through an internal probe undertaken without consultation with the investigative authorities.