[Exclusive] "We Are Victims Too, But the Blame Is on Us" Coupang Employees Unsettled by Review of Work-From-Home Abolition

Aftermath of Data Leak Affecting 33.7 Million Customers
Some Departments Suspend External Meetings and Activities
Employee Anxiety Rises Amid Rumors of Remote Work Reduction

The fallout from the personal information leak affecting 33.7 million customers is spreading throughout Coupang's internal work system and overall organizational culture. Following its move to restrict employees' external meetings citing "enhanced security," Coupang is reportedly considering the gradual elimination of remote work. Some predict that this incident could become a turning point for changes in Coupang's work system.

Yonhap News Agency

According to The Asia Business Daily's report on December 3, Coupang recently distributed an internal notice to all employees outlining the basic circumstances of the leak and the company's response measures. The notice explained that all the compromised accounts belonged to domestic users, and the exposed information was limited to names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and some order details. It also stated that the unauthorized access route at issue was immediately blocked, and that the company had significantly strengthened its monitoring system to check for any additional breaches.

Coupang has brought in an external, independent cybersecurity firm to analyze the cause of the incident and strengthen its security measures. The company has made it clear that it will actively cooperate with investigations by law enforcement and regulatory authorities, and has further tightened its security stance by strictly prohibiting the external sharing of internal documents. Following the incident, some departments have reportedly suspended or reduced external meetings and communications, reflecting a more cautious atmosphere within the company.

Coupang Blind content capture. The Asia Business Daily database

Coupang is reportedly considering the gradual elimination of its remote work system in response to this incident. Management has internally raised concerns that allowing many employees, including developers, to access internal systems from remote work environments has exposed structural vulnerabilities in terms of information security.

Unlike most large companies, which reduced remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic, Coupang has maintained a large-scale remote work system in Korea, citing the need for collaboration with overseas staff. While many companies have restricted access to internal networks to on-site employees due to security concerns, Coupang has allowed remote workers to access its internal network from home.

With this system structure now linked to the massive data leak, there is growing internal consensus that a fundamental overhaul of the security system is needed. In fact, during an emergency inquiry session of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee on December 2, related questions were raised intensively. Coupang CEO Park Daejoon stated that "remote work is at the discretion of department heads," but when asked if remote workers could access the internal network from home, he replied, "Yes." This effectively acknowledged the company's external access structure.

On the anonymous internal community "Blind," posts have been shared stating, "There are rumors that the elimination of remote work has already been finalized as part of enhanced security measures. It is said to be official from upper management," fueling anxiety among employees. Some employees have pointed out, "This incident is a problem with the company's security system, so why should remote work, which is a welfare benefit, be reduced?" and "There is no direct connection between strengthening security and reducing remote work." Since many employees are also victims of the data breach, there are also voices saying, "Isn't the company shifting responsibility onto the victimized employees?"

With politicians and regulatory authorities announcing plans for a rigorous investigation, some analysts believe that Coupang is likely to push for changes to its work system with "enhanced security" as a key focus. This is interpreted as a recognition that restoring trust in overall business operations and overhauling security systems has become unavoidable.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of December 3, the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee will hold a plenary session to conduct an inquiry into the Coupang data breach. Key agencies, including the Personal Information Protection Commission, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, and Fair Trade Commission, will attend, and Coupang will be represented by CEO Park and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Committee Chairman Yoon Hanhong stated, "We will focus on accurately identifying the circumstances of the incident and discussing measures to prevent recurrence."

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