Police ended a search and seizure of Coupang's headquarters on the second day of the operation after a massive personal data leak. Investigators plan to analyze in earnest how the leak occurred and whether there were internal security vulnerabilities based on the secured digital records.
The Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it halted the execution of a search and seizure of Coupang's headquarters office in Songpa-gu, Seoul, at about 9 p.m. on the 10th. Police resumed the search at 11:15 a.m. that day and additionally secured server logs and internal IT records not obtained the day before. Earlier, police had also searched Coupang's headquarters for about 10 hours the previous day.
The search warrant named a former Coupang employee of Chinese nationality as a suspect on charges of intrusion into an information and communications network and leaking secrets under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. Police have secured the IP used in the personal data leak to track the leaker, while also examining whether there were technical vulnerabilities in Coupang's internal customer information management system.
Police expect that analyzing the seized items will take considerable time and plan to comprehensively determine the path and cause of the personal data leak and whether there is management responsibility based on the secured digital logs and internal records. Inside and outside the police, some note that, given the massive volume of materials to be secured, additional searches and seizures remain possible.
Meanwhile, moves to file damages suits against Coupang are spreading quickly. Civic groups recently applied for collective dispute mediation with the Personal Information Protection Commission and demanded up to 500,000 won per person in damages and measures to prevent a recurrence. More than about 60 online communities have been opened on portal sites to prepare group lawsuits against Coupang.
The number of victims who expressed their intention to join lawsuits through law firms and legal offices has surpassed 280,000, according to assessments. Each legal representative is said to be planning to seek damages of 100,000–500,000 won per person from Coupang.
Coupang initially said the number of victims was about 4,500, but the number of leaked accounts later confirmed has risen to 33.7 million. Separate from the police investigation, legal battles over civil liability for damages are expected to intensify.