This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz RM Report site at 2:06 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2026.
Nine out of 10 Chinese nationals working in Korea on a specific-activity (E-7, foreign professional workforce) visa as information and communications managers were found to be affiliated with Coupang.
According to data on E-7 visa issuance submitted by the Ministry of Justice to Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party on the 21st, Coupang hired 51 Chinese nationals as information and communications managers through the E-7 visa from January to November last year. Considering that, as of November last year, there were a total of 56 Chinese nationals staying in Korea on E-7 visas as information and communications managers, 91% belonged to Coupang.
The E-7 is a work visa issued to attract foreign high-level professionals to work in about 90 occupations designated by the Korean government. Education, career, and the necessity of employment are strictly reviewed. Hiring corporations must also meet eligibility requirements, making it a visa considered relatively difficult to obtain.
From January to November last year, Coupang hired a total of 66 Chinese nationals on E-7 visas. The largest number were information and communications managers at 51, followed by ▲ 11 management support managers ▲ 1 application software developer ▲ 1 information security expert ▲ 1 data expert ▲ 1 electronics engineer.
The number of Chinese nationals hired by Coupang on E-7 visas was four in 2021, increasing steadily to 11 in 2022, 51 in 2023, and 71 in 2024. In four years, the number of Chinese managers on E-7 visas increased 18-fold. This is seen as the result of the company's rapid business growth, including its listing on the U.S. Nasdaq and annual sales surpassing 4 trillion won.
Given the E-7 visa's focus on managerial-level professionals and the fact that they are directly employed by Coupang's China subsidiary and others, the number of Chinese nationals working at Coupang is likely higher. In fact, excluding managerial staff, many working-level developers participate in projects remotely from China and other localities.
Coupang's total number of employees is around 12,000, and among them, about 1,000 are known to be foreign executives and employees. Based on materials submitted by Coupang to the National Assembly, 30% of developers were foreigners.
Calls have continued for systematic management of foreign professionals after a former Chinese national employee of Coupang, identified as A, was named a suspect in a large-scale personal information leak.
Police investigating incidents including Coupang's personal information leak have obtained an arrest warrant for A and, in cooperation with the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO, Interpol), are proceeding with steps such as a summons request.