South Korea hits Coupang with a fine of more than $400 million over a data breach that affected millions

South Korean authorities have imposed a record fine of 624 billion won (more than $400 million) on retail giant Coupang after a data breach last year compromised the personal data of more than 34 million customers.

Seoul’s Personal Information Protection Commission issued the maximum penalty on Thursday after discovering the breach in December 2025. The retail giant, which is headquartered in the United States but popular in South Korea and likened to the “Amazon of Asia,” said the months-long data breach allowed a former employee to obtain the names, email addresses, shipping, phone numbers and order records of about two-thirds of South Korea’s population.

Coupang told BBC News that it plans to appeal the regulator’s decision. The fine represents a rare case of financial sanctions issued against a US-based company. Korean lawmakers accused some of their American counterparts of imposing political pressure after reports that American representatives were linking the data breach to bilateral relations between the United States and South Korea in response to the case against Coupang executives.

U.S. companies rarely face financial penalties or criminal prosecution for data breaches due to a lack of laws and enforcement authorities.