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Choi Min-hee (left), chair of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, speaks with lawmaker Kim Hyun during a full committee meeting at the National Assembly on December 10. / Source: Yonhap News

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party on the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee (SBCC) decided to file a criminal complaint against Coupang Inc. Chairman Kim Beom-seok and to push for a parliamentary investigation after he failed to appear at a hearing on a massive personal data breach.

The committee’s Democratic Party members held a closed-door meeting at the National Assembly on December 15 and confirmed plans to report Kim, along with former Coupang CEOs Kang Han-seung and Park Dae-joon, to prosecutors and to pursue a full parliamentary probe. Eleven opposition lawmakers on the committee, including Chair Choi Min-hee, issued a joint statement condemning the executives’ absence and warning of legal action.

In the statement, the lawmakers said that refusing to appear before the National Assembly in the wake of a “mega-scale accident involving the leakage of personal data of 33.7 million people” constitutes a clear violation of the Act on Testimony, Appraisal, and Evidence before the National Assembly. They stressed that the no-show could not be treated lightly and that those responsible must be held accountable under the law.

The move followed Kim’s submission of a written explanation on December 14 stating that he was unable to attend the December 17 hearing on the Coupang data breach because he resides and works overseas. He said that, as the CEO of a global company operating in more than 170 countries, he had unavoidable business commitments. Former CEOs Kang and Park also said they would not attend, citing the fact that they no longer hold executive posts, while Coupang said its chief administrative officer, Harold Rogers, would appear in their place.

Committee Chair Choi rejected the explanation, writing on social media the previous day that the absence would “not be permitted” and that the reasons given were unacceptable. Democratic Party lawmakers said Kim’s overseas residence amounted to an organized attempt to evade responsibility that would be difficult for the public and the legislature to accept.

The decision to pursue a parliamentary investigation is aimed in part at securing the authority to issue an order compelling attendance. Under current law, such orders are limited in ordinary hearings, but can be issued during a parliamentary investigation against witnesses who fail to appear without valid grounds.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee is also considering filing a complaint against Kim for violating the law on testimony before the legislature at its full meeting on December 17. Kim previously failed to attend a parliamentary audit in October and an emergency inquiry on December 3, citing overseas travel and business schedules.