Coupang user numbers rebound slightly despite massive data breach affecting 33.7 million accounts

By Kim Dong-young Posted : December 14, 2025, 09:53 Updated : December 14, 2025, 09:53
Coupang Headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul/ Yonhap
 
SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has seen its user base recover and expand modestly despite a colossal data breach that compromised 33.7 million accounts, underscoring the powerful grip the company maintains over the nation's online shoppers.

Weekly active users on Coupang's main shopping app reached 29.9 million during the first week of December, up about 4.1 percent from 28.8 million a month earlier, according to data from retail analytics firm WiseApp Retail on Sunday.

The company's affiliated services also posted gains. Coupang Play, the firm's video streaming platform, drew 3.9 million weekly users, a 4 percent increase that kept it in second place among over-the-top services behind Netflix. Coupang Eats, its food delivery arm, climbed 3 percent to nearly 8 million users.

Industry analysts attribute the resilience to a so-called lock-in effect, where Coupang's integrated ecosystem spanning shopping, streaming, and delivery makes it difficult for customers to switch to rival platforms.

A survey by research firm Embrain Trend Monitor found that 71.9 percent of 1,000 adult respondents said they would struggle to restore trust in the company even if it offered compensation. Yet more than half, at 55.3 percent, said they would likely continue using the service out of convenience.

The rebound marks a stark reversal from the user exodus seen in the days following the initial confirmation of the breach, which had led several industry observers to forecast a gradual downfall for the Korean e-commerce giant.

Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.