Seoul: The interim head of e-commerce giant Coupang Corp. expressed regret over a significant leak of customer data during a parliamentary session. Harold Rogers, the interim CEO, stated, "I am deeply sorry for the concern that we have created for the Korean people." His appointment followed the resignation of Park Dae-jun, who stepped down to assume full responsibility for the breach.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the incident involved the personal information of over 33 million customers and was reported by Coupang late last month. The breach prompted a parliamentary hearing, where Rogers assured that the company is taking the matter seriously and is addressing the concerns of regulators and customers. He also mentioned the development of a compensation package, which will be announced after the investigation concludes.

Rogers attended the hearing with other Korean executives from Coupang, though the company's founder and board chairman, Kim Bom-suk, was absent due to official business commitments. Additionally, Rogers explained the rationale behind reporting the data breach to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), despite no sensitive information being compromised. The decision aimed to mitigate information disparity between South Korea and the United States, given the ongoing scrutiny of the issue.

The parent company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, confirmed in an SEC filing that operations were not materially disrupted by the breach. Rogers emphasized that the leaked data would not breach U.S. privacy laws, indicating that there was no obligation to file with the SEC but chose to do so to maintain transparency.