Data watchdog nears conclusion of investigation into Chinese e-commerce giants, results imminent

Ko Hak-soo, chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission, speaks during a news conference at the Government Complex Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

South Korea’s data protection watchdog is nearing the end of its investigation into Chinese e-commerce firms AliExpress and Temu over consumer data protection and will likely take action soon after the results of the investigation are announced, its head said on Monday.

The investigation into the two companies “has been concluded,” Ko Hak-soo, chairman of the Personal Data Protection Commission, said during a regular briefing at the National Assembly.

The investigation was launched in response to growing concerns about data protection measures used by Chinese internet platforms, the use of which among South Koreans has been growing.

“We will present our findings at the next general meeting, where a decision will be made,” he said. The commission had initially planned to complete its investigation by mid-year. Ko said the delay was attributed to procedural reasons.

He also mentioned the challenges the investigation faced due to the short history of their operations in Korea and limited documentation regarding their business activities.

In April, the watchdog demanded that AliExpress, Temu and about eight other Chinese internet companies strictly comply with South Korea’s data protection law, as Chinese e-commerce companies have quickly become major players in South Korea. (Yonhap)