The ‘Amazon of Korea’ in Hot Water
If you’ve ever been to Korea, you’ve definitely used or seen Coupang. It’s our go-to for everything, famous for its super-fast ‘Rocket Delivery.’ But recently, they’ve been in the news for a much scarier reason: a massive data breach that leaked the personal information of 33.7 million people. That’s… a huge chunk of the entire country’s population. As you can imagine, everyone is demanding answers, and the government scheduled a parliamentary hearing to get them. They summoned the man at the very top, founder and chairman Kim Bom-suk, to testify.
“Sorry, Can’t Make It.”
Just days before the hearing on December 17th, Kim Bom-suk sent a letter to the National Assembly saying he won’t be there. His official reason is that as the CEO of a global company operating in over 170 countries, he has unavoidable business schedules and currently lives overseas. It turns out, two other former top executives from Coupang also backed out, citing reasons like health issues or no longer being in a position of responsibility. This coordinated refusal by the former leadership team to face questioning has turned a serious issue into a major controversy.
Lawmakers Are Furious
The response from the government was swift and angry. The committee chairperson, Choi Min-hee, publicly stated she would not accept their excuses, calling them “irresponsible.” She pointed out that for a disaster of this magnitude, the key people in charge can’t just decide they’re too busy to show up. It’s not just one politician, either; lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have slammed the move, calling it an act of ignoring the Korean people and a tactic to evade responsibility.
A History of Dodging?
What makes this feel even worse for many Koreans is that this isn’t the first time Chairman Kim has been a no-show. He’s been summoned by the National Assembly before for other issues and has never attended, often using the fact that he resides abroad as his reason. Critics argue that since he is the de facto owner with immense control over the company, he is ultimately responsible, and his repeated absences look like a deliberate strategy to avoid accountability for problems happening at his company in Korea. The government is now considering what to do next, including possibly issuing a compulsory attendance order.
