Seoul, South Korea – South Korean police announced Monday that they are tracking down the suspect behind a massive data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang. This comes after they obtained the IP address used in the operation.
This move comes after the company revealed on Saturday that the breach began last June. This resulted in the leak of personal information for nearly 34 million customers, including names, email addresses, physical addresses, and phone numbers.
Former employee and Chinese nationality
Coupang confirmed that the perpetrator was identified as a former employee of Chinese nationality who has left South Korea.
A Seoul Metropolitan Police official told reporters: “We are analyzing server records provided by Coupang. We have obtained the IP address used by the suspect in the crime, and we are tracking him down.”
The official confirmed that police are also investigating several points, including the suspect’s nationality. They are checking whether he left the country after leaving to work for the company. They are also investigating whether he is the same person who sent an email to Coupang threatening to reveal the breach.
The investigation is progressing
An internal investigation into the matter began last month. This came after the company initially reported a breach affecting only about 4,500 people.
The formal investigation began last week after the company filed a complaint against an unidentified person for allegedly hacking into its information and communications network.
The official confirmed that police have not yet received any reports of scams (phishing calls or text messages) related to the breach. However, they are working with relevant ministries to prepare for such potential incidents.
