Coupang’s Harold Rogers Summoned Again by Police to Scrutinize Claim of ‘NIS Orders’

Police have again summoned Harold Rogers, acting head of Coupang Korea Corporation, who is accused of committing perjury during a National Assembly hearing, for further questioning.
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the SMPA began questioning Rogers at around 1:30 p.m. on the 6th as a suspect on charges of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly by giving false testimony. This is his second appearance, following an initial round of questioning on the 30th of last month.
Rogers arrived at the SMPA Metropolitan Investigation Unit building in Mapo District, Seoul, at about 1:29 p.m. that day. Speaking through an interpreter, he stated, "Coupang will continue to fully cooperate with all government investigations" and added, "I will faithfully cooperate with today’s investigation as well." However, he did not answer reporters’ questions about whether he admits to perjury, whether he plans to appear before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, or whether he intends to leave the country after the questioning, and proceeded directly to the interrogation room.
During the session, investigators plan to closely examine the intent and basis of Rogers’ remarks at the "joint National Assembly hearing on the Coupang incident" held on December 30–31 last year, as well as whether he was aware that any part of his testimony was false. At the time, Rogers testified that Coupang’s internal investigation into a massive personal data leak had been carried out under the direction of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS countered this, stating, "We have never issued any instructions to Coupang."
Afterward, the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee of the National Assembly filed a criminal complaint against Rogers, Coupang Chairman Bom Kim, and six other current and former executives, accusing them of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly, among other charges. Earlier, on the 3rd, police also questioned former Coupang CEO Park Dae-jun on the same allegations.
Rogers is also under investigation on suspicion of destroying evidence during what has been described as a "self-investigation" into the personal data leak. Coupang announced the results of its own probe in December last year, claiming that about 3,000 items of personal information had been leaked. However, the police investigation has raised the possibility that as many as 30 million records may have been compromised.
He has additionally been accused in connection with allegations that Coupang concealed its responsibility for an industrial accident involving a worker, the late Jang Deok-jun, who died in 2020.
Meanwhile, in an internal email sent to employees the previous day, Rogers reportedly wrote that during the first round of questioning, which lasted about 12 hours, he "worked to clarify the facts and faithfully contributed to uncovering the truth" and that he "plans to actively cooperate with the second round of questioning as well."
Police intend to verify the facts surrounding how Rogers came to give his testimony at the National Assembly and to review the entire internal investigation process in detail.
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter