DR&AJU and LKB Pyeongsan Also Join the "Coupang Battle"

Published 04 Feb.2026 15:50(KST)

Class actions once led by small firms
Landscape shifting toward mid- to large-sized firms

In connection with the Coupang case, which involves issues such as personal data leakage and unfair trade practices, mid- to large-sized law firms like DR&AJU and LKB Pyeongsan are moving one after another to recruit plaintiffs for lawsuits. As the focus of the litigation is expanding beyond personal data protection to encompass unfair trade and the overall structure of Coupang’s marketplace, the landscape of class actions appears to be changing.

Coupang headquarters.

Top-10 large law firm also recruiting plaintiffs

Recently, DR&AJU announced on its website that it is recruiting business operators who suffered damage from Coupang as plaintiffs in a lawsuit. DR&AJU pointed out that Coupang’s unfair trade practices and copyright infringements, that is, so-called "gapjil" (abuse of superior bargaining position), have now come to the surface. It is considered unusual for a large law firm that ranks 10th in Korea by number of lawyers and revenue to openly recruit plaintiffs to take on a large corporation like Coupang.

Attorney Lee Kisung of DR&AJU’s Fair Trade Team (4th bar exam) said, “Because this is a case against a large company like Coupang whose market position is firmly established, we determined that a law firm with a certain scale and expertise needs to respond in an organized manner.” He explained that matters related to Coupang require an examination of the entire transaction process under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, and that a law firm with a dedicated fair trade practice team is more suitable.

Lee added, “Among the companies that do business with Coupang are large manufacturing companies, so the nature of the disputes can be seen as somewhat unique.” He said, “We decided to respond in the form of an open recruitment because we believed it was necessary to listen directly to the voices of the harmed business operators and provide them with legal assistance.”

"Mid- to large-sized firms with specialized personnel are suitable"

LKB Pyeongsan also moved relatively early to file a class action. LKB Pyeongsan is a mid-sized law firm with about 160 lawyers and revenue approaching 60 billion won in 2025. Since December 2025, it has been recruiting participants for the class action and is managing the case through a dedicated webpage. So far, approximately 6,500 people have joined, and the number of consultations has reached around 31,500 cases. The total amount of damages they are claiming is about 3,197,500,000 won. A total of 12 people are exclusively handling this case, including 7 lawyers (5 of whom are partners) and 5 staff members.

Until now, class actions against large corporations have mainly been led by small- and mid-sized law firms that emphasize agility and experience in mass claims. The Coupang case as well has in effect been spearheaded by small firms with fewer than 20 lawyers each (according to their websites), such as Law Firm Jihyang, Law Firm Cheong, Law Firm Illo, Law Office Lofis, and Law Office Hoin.

Jung Taewon (33rd Judicial Research and Training Institute class), managing partner of LKB Pyeongsan, said, “Even in cases where a company’s negligence was acknowledged, only a portion of the victims actually participated in the lawsuit. When litigation dragged on, not a few plaintiffs dropped out along the way.” Jung said, “We concluded that law firms with sufficient scale and manpower need to participate with a sense of public interest.” He added, “In a personal data leakage case with such significant social repercussions, we hope this class action will serve as an opportunity to hold companies substantively accountable.”