South Korea’s retail giant Coupang sees CEO resign amid data breach scandal

A historic data breach has shaken up South Korea’s tech industry like never before as the CEO of renowned retail giant Coupang has resigned from his position. 

The development comes three weeks after the company confirmed a massive data breach affecting nearly 34 million customers, triggering nationwide concern and intense scrutiny.

In an official statement, Coupang revealed that CEO Park Dae-jun stepped down due to the scandal, which first came to light on November 18. 

“I am deeply sorry for disappointing the public with the recent personal information incident,” Park stated, adding that he felt “a deep sense of responsibility for the outbreak and the subsequent recovery process,” prompting his decision to step aside.

Following his resignation, Coupang has appointed Harold Rogers, the firm’s Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, as interim CEO. 

Rogers is expected to “focus on alleviating customer anxiety caused by the personal information leak” and stabilising internal operations.

Park, who joined Coupang in 2012, became the company’s sole CEO in May following its shift away from a dual-CEO system.

His departure marks one of the most dramatic leadership shake-ups in the company’s history.