Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
Korean watchdog seeks leniency for two Coupang whistleblowers
South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission asked prosecutors to consider leniency for two whistleblowers linked to an alleged employee blacklist at Coupang.
The two people reported in 2024 that Coupang Fulfillment Services, the company’s logistics unit, had made a blacklist in violation of labor laws.
Coupang withdrew its complaints against them, but an investigation continued over an alleged violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.
The two were recently sent to prosecutors with a recommendation to indict.
The commission says their alleged conduct happened during the whistleblowing process, and has asked that they face no punishment or a reduced sentence.
It plans to seek similar cooperation from police and prosecutors in future cases and develop a legal basis for those requests.
South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has asked prosecutors to consider leniency for two Coupang whistleblowers.
The two reported in 2024 that Coupang’s logistics subsidiary had allegedly made a blacklist of employees in violation of labor laws.
Coupang filed complaints against them and later withdrew them, but an investigation continued over an alleged breach of the Information and Communications Network Act.
The two were recently sent to prosecutors with a recommendation that they be indicted.
The commission said it would seek to protect whistleblowers from criminal penalties for conduct arising during the reporting process.
- Who
- South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and two Coupang whistleblowers.
- What
- The commission asked prosecutors to consider reducing or waiving the whistleblowers’ criminal liability.
- When
- The request was announced on Oct. 29, 2026. The whistleblowers reported the alleged blacklist in 2024.
- Where
- South Korea; the request was made to the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office.
- Why
- The commission said the conduct at issue occurred during the process of making a public-interest report.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The two whistleblowers reported an alleged employee blacklist at Coupang’s logistics subsidiary.
Coupang filed complaints against the whistleblowers and later withdrew them, but an investigation continued over an alleged Information and Communications Network Act violation.
The two were sent to prosecutors with a recommendation that they be indicted.
The commission said it had asked prosecutors to consider reducing or waiving the whistleblowers’ liability.
- Whistleblowers
- 2
- Company subsidiary
- Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS)
- Reported conduct
- Alleged employee blacklist and violations of labor laws
- Report year
- 2024
- Request recipient
- Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office
- Announced
- Oct. 29, 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
Preventing as much as possible the risk that public-interest whistleblowers face criminal punishment for having the courage to report wrongdoing is the role of the commission, which oversees whistleblower protection.