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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Seoul, South Korea — Coupang hired 28 former officials from the National Assembly and government cybersecurity agencies this year alone, bringing the total number of former government employees recruited by the company over the past six years to 62—the largest among Korean e-commerce companies. Critics argue that as Coupang expanded rapidly, it focused more on lobbying and regulatory maneuvering than strengthening internal capabilities.
According to data submitted by the National Health Insurance Service to Rep. Kang Min-kook of the People Power Party on December 3, 26 former National Assembly employees and two former officials from government cybersecurity agencies joined Coupang this year.
Cybersecurity-related government bodies include the Ministry of Science and ICT, Personal Information Protection Commission, Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), National Police Agency, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, Financial Security Institute, and the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU).
During the six-year review period (2020–2025), a total of 62 former government employees from these institutions were rehired by Coupang, indicating consistent recruitment of such personnel.
Coupang’s hiring volume far exceeds that of other major Korean e-commerce companies. Across the top six e-commerce firms by transaction volume, 107 former government employees were rehired during the same period (82 from the National Assembly and 25 from cybersecurity-related agencies). Of these, 57.9% joined Coupang.
Other companies hired significantly fewer:
Kakao: 23
Woowa Brothers (Baemin): 11
Naver: 9
Shinsegae Group (Gmarket, SSG.com, Auction): 2
Rep. Kang criticized Coupang, stating, “The worst personal data breach in Korea’s history—affecting 33.7 million people—is the inevitable outcome of Coupang’s government-affairs-driven management practices.” He added, “Coupang must immediately overhaul its management priorities and strengthen its security and internal control capabilities.”
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
