A recent investigation has uncovered alarming data breaches within Coupang, with a former employee accessing an astonishing 150 million delivery addresses and illegally leaking approximately 33.7 million personal data records. This development starkly contrasts with Coupang's earlier statement, which suggested that only a minimal number of data records were compromised. The breach not only involved customer names and phone numbers but also confidential delivery address lists, raising significant concerns regarding the scale of the data theft and the protection of personal information.

The investigation revealed that the former employee exploited vulnerabilities in Coupang's user authentication system, managing to steal a crucial signature key that allowed them to bypass standard login protocols. This breakthrough granted them unauthorized access to sensitive user information, including not only the data of individuals directly registered with Coupang but also records of family members and acquaintances linked to these accounts. The extensive reach of this breach, which involved repeated access to sensitive personal information, greatly enhances the potential for misuse and identity theft.

Coupang's failure to secure its systems highlights serious implications for data protection standards within corporate practices in South Korea. Following this incident, there are calls for tighter regulations and oversight of personal data management practices in order to prevent similar breaches in the future. As the investigation progresses, both consumers and regulatory bodies will be closely monitoring how Coupang addresses these substantial vulnerabilities and what measures will be taken to restore trust in its services and safeguard customer data in the long run.