Rights commission calls for leniency for ex-Coupang workers indicted in 'blacklist' case

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has petitioned prosecutors to show leniency towards two ex-Coupang employees who have been indicted in a blacklist case, according to officials. The whistleblowers first came forward in 2024, alleging that Coupang's logistics arm, Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS), maintained a blacklist of over 16,000 individuals deemed persona non grata. One of the whistleblowers had previously worked in CFS's human resources department.

In response to the whistleblowers' claims, Coupang argued that the information was legitimate HR data and subsequently filed criminal complaints against the two individuals for leaking company information without authorization. As public pressure mounted over the company's practices, Coupang's subsidiary apologized and withdrew the criminal complaints against the whistleblowers.

Despite this, the police investigation persisted, leading to the indictment of the two workers for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, a crime that can be prosecuted regardless of intent.