South Korea tax agency conducts special audit of Coupang following data leak, Yonhap says

South Korea's National Tax Service is conducting a special audit of the e-commerce platform Coupang, which is facing potential sanctions by regulators following a massive leak of customer information, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday.

The audit also involves the South Korean unit's transactions with the New York-listed parent company led by founder Bom Kim, Yonhap said. Kim has faced criticism in South Korea for remaining silent despite calls to answer questions about the breach.

A large team of tax agency officials entered Coupang's offices in Seoul and secured documents on Monday, Yonhap said, citing unnamed industry sources.

The National Tax Service said it could not comment on reports about audits of individual taxpayers. Coupang did not immediately have a comment.

Confirmation of the leak of more than 33 million customers' personal information by the company has stirred an angry public backlash against the dominant player in the country's e-commerce market and triggered probes by regulators and the police.

Last week, when Kim failed to appear before a parliamentary hearing on the breach, angry lawmakers vowed to take legal action against him.

Kim cited his overseas residence and commitments as head of a global company operating in more than 170 countries for not attending.