US-listed e-commerce giant vows to 'vigorously' seek judicial relief
Coupang headquarters in Seoul (Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald)
Coupang has pledged to dispute the Korean privacy authorities’ decision to impose a $410 million fine on the United States-listed e-commerce firm in court.
“The (Korean Personal Information Protection Commission)’s regulatory findings and penalties are subject to judicial review,” said Coupang Inc. in its 8-K filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Coupang, Inc, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, owns a 100 percent stake in Coupang Corp.
“Coupang Corp. will vigorously pursue judicial relief in the Seoul Administrative Court,” it said.
The Korean PIPC on Thursday announced an administrative fine of approximately $278 million for Coupang Corp., one of Coupang, Inc.’s Korean subsidiaries, following the e-commerce firm’s data breach of some 33 million users, made up of mostly Korean nationals. The personal information incident was first disclosed in November.
“The PIPC also announced a separate administrative fine of approximately $132 million, unrelated to the November 2025 data incident, alleging that Coupang Corp. violated the Korean Personal Information Protection Act in connection with the collection and storage of data related to a third-party advertising program,” said Coupang in the 8-K filing.
According to Coupang, the Korean authorities have directed Coupang’s Korean office to take certain corrective actions related to these matters.
“Coupang Corp. has not yet received the PIPC’s formal written decisions, and the final fine amounts, findings and corrective measures may differ from the PIPC’s announcement,” it added.
“Payments of fines to the PIPC are not automatically stayed during an appeal and are not deductible for income tax purposes. The estimated administrative fines of approximately $410 million will be recognized in our 2026 second quarter operating results within operating, general and administrative expenses.”
Coupang logged $34.5 billion in sales and $473 million in operating profit in 2025.
The PIPC underlined that Coupang's administrative measures reiterate that any company, regardless of its headquarters’ location, handling Korean consumers’ personal information must uphold strict legal standards.
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
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