Personal Information Protection Commission Investigating 'Temu': "We Will Make Appropriate Decisions Even If It Takes Time"

Vice Chairman Choi Jang-hyuk August Regular Briefing

The Personal Information Protection Commission, which is investigating the violation of the Personal Information Protection Act by Chinese e-commerce platform 'Temu,' stated, "Although it may take some time, we will take appropriate measures and actions."

Choi Jang-hyuk, Vice Chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission

On the 6th, Choi Jang-hyuk, Vice Chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission, held a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Office press room and said, "We are continuously requesting cooperation for materials from Temu and securing data."

He explained that compared to AliExpress (Ali), which was previously fined about 2 billion KRW, Temu has operated in Korea for a shorter period, so the investigation is taking relatively more time.

Vice Chairman Choi said, "We need to explain domestic laws and systems, and Temu requires communication with its global headquarters," adding, "Even when consulting with government authorities, we understand that playing an intermediary role in helping the global headquarters understand is not easy."

He mentioned, "Temu's headquarters is an Irish corporation, and the Asia-Pacific representative said that accounting data will be opened around September," suggesting that actions regarding Temu may become visible next month.

In the case of Ali, it is known that they did not object to the fine of 1.978 billion KRW, the penalty of 7.8 million KRW, and corrective orders, and expressed their intention to cooperate with the Commission's measures.

However, Kakao, which was imposed with the largest fine ever of 15.1 billion KRW, announced its intention to take legal action such as administrative lawsuits.

A Personal Information Commission official said, "We have not yet delivered the disposition document to Kakao. The disposition document is the first official document expressing the Commission's position," adding, "It is taking time to enhance the completeness of the legal aspects."

Regarding the plan to establish a dedicated litigation team for companies, Vice Chairman Choi said, "We plan to hire dedicated litigation lawyers to handle cases," and added, "Since we are dealing with global companies, it is difficult to grasp their sales figures, so there is a need to supplement expertise in that area."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.