Coupang Inc. founder and chairman Kim Bom‑suk, also known as Bom Kim, issued a public apology for a data breach that exposed information on 33‑point‑seven million users, nearly a month after the company confirmed the leak.

In a statement posted on the company’s website Sunday, Kim apologized on behalf of Coupang and acknowledged that delayed and limited communication had caused additional anxiety and disappointment among customers and the public.

Kim said the decision to wait until all facts were confirmed before addressing the breach publicly was a misjudgment and expressed regret for not communicating transparently from the start.

He said Coupang had focused on preventing secondary damage and claimed that, in cooperation with the government, all leaked customer data had been recovered and had not been distributed externally.

Kim added that Coupang had fully cooperated with the South Korean government by promptly identifying the perpetrator, retrieving the data and storage devices involved and submitting all relevant materials.

He said the company would prepare compensation measures for affected users and overhaul its cybersecurity systems to prevent similar incidents.