Coupang US Class Action Plaintiffs Exceed 2,300 in Three Days

The number of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Coupang's (CPNG) US headquarters over the company's massive personal data breach has surpassed 2,300.

According to SJKP LLP, a US-based law firm partnering with Korean law firm Daeryun, a total of 2,346 individuals had signed up to participate in the US class action as of 10 a.m. on January 12.

SJKP held a press conference in New York on January 8 and began accepting applications for the class action. Among the applicants are reportedly numerous US citizens, permanent residents, and US-based individuals.

Daeryun expects the number of participants to grow further, as many plaintiffs already enrolled in the ongoing domestic class action in Korea have expressed intent to join the US lawsuit simultaneously.

Reported damages filed with SJKP so far include spam text messages disguised as Coupang logistics part-time job advertisements, phone calls from parties impersonating Coupang with fake event participation offers, and notifications of Coupang login attempts from foreign countries or unrecognized devices.

SJKP aims to file the complaint with a US court by the end of this year in cooperation with Daeryun, and additional plaintiffs can register through the official websites of both firms.

"The complaint is now in its final drafting stage, and we are reviewing the cases of registered victims to assess their standing as plaintiffs in US federal court," said Son Dong-hu, a New York-licensed attorney leading the class action. "Through discovery, we will reveal that the US headquarters has exercised key authority over security and risk investment, and we will hold them accountable for their failure to manage and supervise."

Kim Kuk-il, managing partner of Daeryun, explained, "The US lawsuit will proceed without any upfront fees due to the nature of the local litigation structure. The damages lawsuit in Korea can also proceed at reasonable costs, and we have arranged for Korean lawsuit participants to join the US lawsuit at no additional charge."

"We will do our best to help victims assert their consumer rights in courts of both Korea and the US without financial burden, and to send a strong warning to Coupang, which has been busy evading responsibility," Kim added.