▲ Harold Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang Corp., speaks during a parliamentary hearing on Coupang's massive breach of personal information belonging to 33 million customers at the National Assembly in western Seoul, in this Dec. 31, 2025, file photo. (Yonhap)

Coupang CEO-police probe

Coupang CEO Rogers leaves S. Korea amid police summons over data leak

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Harold Rogers, interim CEO of Coupang Corp., has departed South Korea and is staying in another country, according to police officials Tuesday, after he failed to comply with a police summons over a massive data leak.

The police task force of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has requested the Ministry of Justice inform it when Rogers returns to Seoul, with the ministry considering whether to impose an overseas travel ban on him once he comes back, officials familiar with the matter told Yonhap News Agency.

Rogers reportedly left South Korea on Dec. 31 after attending a two-day parliamentary hearing on the breach of personal information belonging to 33 million Coupang users in South Korea.

Police summoned him on Jan. 1 for questioning on Jan. 5.

A police official said Coupang learned of his departure only after being contacted by police.

Police are seeking to bring him in for questioning on a date in mid-month that they declined to specify.

A Coupang official said Rogers left for a business commitment that had already been scheduled and has said he is willing to appear for questioning and cooperate with the investigation.

Coupang announced the results of its own probe on Dec. 25 that a suspect stole personal information from 33 million users but only saved the data of 3,000 individuals.

The police summoned Rogers to question him over the company's own investigation into the data leak, as a defendant accused of obstruction of official duties and obstruction of business.

The police task force said earlier it will also open an investigation to confirm whether Rogers' testimony to the National Assembly is true, following a parliamentary committee's complaint against him for allegedly violating the act on testimony and appraisal before parliament.

The task force was launched last week to investigate all Coupang-related cases, including the probe into the data leak suspect, known as a former Coupang employee of Chinese nationality.

It is said to have begun procedures to seek the repatriation of the suspect from China in cooperation with Interpol.

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