The breach of more than 33 million Coupang user accounts is now quickly evolving from a shocking corporate security lapse to a source of rising anti-Chinese sentiment as suspicion falls on a former employee of Chinese nationality.
Experts warn that the turn risks deepening social divides and creating diplomatic strain.
The controversy surrounding the breach intensified after the prime suspect was believed to be a former Coupang engineer from China who had worked on authentication systems.
Police said they are examining whether the former employee acted alone or with others but declined to confirm the person’s nationality, citing an open investigation.
Despite that caution, public debate has quickly coalesced around nationality-based blame. Portraying the incident as the work of “a Chinese ex-employee” has fueled online outrage and calls for tougher national-security laws.
Reactions surged again Thursday after local reports said Coupang had actively recruited Chinese engineers through platforms such as Maimai, China’s LinkedIn equivalent. The reports triggered a wave of xenophobic online comments, many accusing the company of jeopardizing national security by hiring foreign workers.
Comments on a Naver article covering Coupang's recruitment process included, “I’m quitting Coupang. Why hire foreigners when you operate in Korea?” “There is no reason not to hate Chinese people anymore,” and “China is the axis of evil." On that same article, more than 80 percent of commenters were men, with those in their 40s and 50s making up over half.
Experts say such rhetoric obscures the nature of the breach itself.
Civic group The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy expressed concerns that revealing employees’ nationality “appears to be aimed at downplaying Coupang’s responsibility.”
“Whether the leaker is Chinese, American or Korean, the company’s liability does not diminish. Misconduct by an individual employee is something the corporation must take responsibility for," the group said.
Experts warn that targeting an entire nationality is a textbook case of collective blame.
“Hate and discrimination are two sides of the same coin,” said Hong Sang-soo, a law professor at Sookmyung Women's University.
These reactions reflect an escalating tendency to interpret a specific event through the lens of nationality, reinforcing the perception that Chinese nationals as a group pose inherent security threats, Hong explained.
“With such sentiment spreading at this rate, hatred of everyone by everyone could become a sad new normal, and a community built on such foundations cannot survive. ... Hate-driven claims that once appeared only on fringe platforms have now seeped into everyday discourse,” he added.
Security specialists also stress that focusing on nationality distracts from the urgent need for accountability and reform. They note that unresolved questions remain about why critical authentication keys were left active and how access controls failed at one of the country’s largest technology employers.
Security analysts warn that unless political leaders, regulators and companies address both the structural failures behind the breach and the rapid rise of nationality-based suspicion, the incident may deepen social divides, which could cause long-term diplomatic and societal damage.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
