South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang reported a sharp financial setback in the second quarter of 2026, posting a net loss of 865 billion won (around $570 million) after being hit with a record privacy fine tied to a massive customer data breach.
The company had recorded a net profit of 43.5 billion won during the same quarter last year, but its latest earnings were heavily affected by regulatory penalties following the disclosure of a security incident that exposed the personal data of more than 37 million customers. The breach, revealed in November 2025, triggered widespread public criticism and an investigation by South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission.
In June, the privacy regulator imposed a record fine of 624.7 billion won on Coupang, citing the data breach and the company’s collection of users’ online activity without obtaining proper consent. The penalty became one of the largest privacy-related fines ever issued in the country.
Despite the financial hit, Coupang’s core online shopping business continued to grow. Revenue from its Product Commerce segment increased 1 percent year over year to $7.42 billion during the second quarter. The company’s Developing Offerings division, which includes Coupang Eats and its Taiwan operations, performed even better, with revenue climbing 20 percent to $1.43 billion.
Coupang also reported that its active Product Commerce customer base grew 3 percent compared to a year earlier, reaching 24.7 million users.
The company said it repurchased $459 million worth of its own shares during the quarter as part of a $1 billion stock buyback program approved by its board in the previous quarter.
Operating performance also weakened significantly. Coupang posted an operating loss of 835 billion won, reversing an operating profit of 209.3 billion won recorded in the same period last year. However, overall sales still increased 4 percent year over year to 13.3 trillion won.
Separately, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission announced new plans to strengthen corporate oversight. The regulator said it intends to impose fines on conglomerate leaders whose business groups fail to disclose affiliated companies in regulatory filings to avoid antitrust rules. The proposal was included in a policy report submitted to President Lee Jae Myung and also outlines additional measures aimed at preventing price-fixing practices.
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