SEOUL – A senior executive from Coupang, South Korea’s e-commerce giant, testified before the National Assembly on Thursday, alleging that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) played a direct and granular role in the company's efforts to recover leaked personal information from a suspect located in China.
During a joint hearing involving six parliamentary committees, including Science and Technology as well as Political Affairs, Lee Jae-geol, Coupang’s Vice President of Legal Affairs, disclosed that the NIS provided specific instructions on how and when to contact the suspect.
Allegations of Direct Operational Guidance
According to Lee, the NIS maintained close contact with Coupang personnel throughout the investigation. When questioned by Representative No Jong-myun of the Democratic Party regarding the extent of the intelligence agency's involvement, Lee stated that at least three NIS officials were known to be involved, with formal documentation exchanged prior to early December.
Lee further clarified that the NIS’s role went beyond simple information sharing. "The NIS repeatedly inquired about the suspect's location and requested at least three times that we initiate contact," Lee testified. He added that the agency provided specific details on the timing, method of communication, and the exact messages to be delivered to the suspect.
The Overseas Recovery Mission
The testimony grew particularly pointed regarding the recovery of physical evidence in China. Lee claimed the NIS insisted that Coupang employees travel to China to meet the suspect and retrieve electronic devices, citing the agency’s inability to operate directly on Chinese soil.
"The NIS requested that Coupang staff accompany the mission to China, meet the suspect, and ensure the devices were recovered," Lee said, confirming that the initiative to seize the suspect’s laptop originated from the intelligence agency.
A bizarre turn in the investigation occurred when the suspect allegedly claimed to have thrown the laptop into a river. Lee testified that when this was reported to the NIS, the agency suggested that Coupang should attempt to recover the device from the water. However, Coupang reportedly hesitated due to concerns over violating local Chinese laws.
Disputes Over Public Disclosure
The hearing also addressed Coupang’s decision to publicly announce its internal findings before the official government investigation by the police and the Personal Information Protection Commission had concluded.
Representative No Jong-myun criticized the move, suggesting that a unilateral announcement by a party involved in an ongoing criminal investigation could undermine public trust and interfere with official results. "It is inappropriate for a party to an investigation to declare 'this is what we found' while joint task forces are still deliberating," No remarked.
In response, Vice President Lee maintained that the decision to go public was an independent "judgment call" aimed at protecting consumers. He argued that the announcement was necessary to prevent secondary "phishing" damages by reassuring customers that the leaked original data had been recovered or deleted.
"We felt an urgent need to inform the public that the threat of ongoing data exposure had been neutralized," Lee stated, emphasizing that the same information had already been shared with state investigators before the public release.
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