"Coupang Inc Chair Bom Kim should issue a formal apology and make clear where the management responsibility lies."
Kim Hong-min, president of the Korea Telemarketing Business Association, said this on the afternoon of the 7th on the steps in front of the main building of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, at the "Rally condemning Coupang for destroying the self-employed," saying, "This personal data leak is an incident in which both sellers and consumers became direct victims." He was pointing to the chair's irresponsible attitude over Coupang's massive personal data leak that occurred at the end of Nov. last year.
Kim demanded that Coupang disclose the scope of potentially leaked information including seller business information; provide free credit protection services for sellers; improve internal authority and log management systems; and completely rebuild technological systems to prevent a recurrence. He then told the lawmakers present at the scene, "Make laws so that this never happens again, and enforce them as written."
The restaurant industry also said it suffered damage. Kim Woo-seok, president of the Korea Restaurant Association, noted the spread of defection from Coupang and said, "Even now, sales of restaurants and self-employed businesses on Coupang are collapsing rapidly, yet there is no compensation plan." Asking rhetorically, "To Coupang, are restaurants and the self-employed just disposable 'one-time coupons'?" he demanded practical compensation such as a public apology from core management, disclosure of measures to prevent a recurrence, the creation of a relief fund for victims, and lower delivery fees.
Seo Young-seok, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, said, "The response after the massive personal data leak is also a problem. As consumers' moves to leave Coupang spread, sales and orders of self-employed businesses on Coupang have plummeted, but Coupang is not showing a responsible attitude," adding, "The self-employed are not consumables for platforms. Innovation without fairness is not innovation, and platform power without responsibility must be controlled."
Criticism also emerged over Coupang's "ultra-low-price competition and forcing down of supply prices." Park Yong-man, president of the Korea Mart Association, argued, "While Coupang sucks in more than 40 trillion won in annual sales, neighborhood marts and local commercial districts are closing," adding, "This is not innovation; it is economic murder." Others pointed out that through "expansion without regulation," Coupang is penetrating even into auto repair, and is using data from partner vendors to develop PB (private brand) products.
The political sphere promised to launch a "Task force to set Coupang right (TF)." Min Byung-deok, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who serves as chairperson of the Democratic Party's Euljiro Committee, said, "We will launch the Task force to set Coupang right to correct Coupang's unfair trade and evasion of responsibility," adding, "Chair Bom Kim, do not hide behind others—come before the public."