[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Fashion platform Musinsa garnered attention on New Year's Day by offering all members a coupon pack totaling 50,000 won as a "free gift." This promotion was interpreted by the industry as a "shot at Coupang" due to its similar structure to Coupang's recent personal information leak compensation plan (a total of 1.685 trillion won, 50,000 won coupons per person for 33.7 million people) and its use of Coupang's logo colors (orange and black).Coupon

Structure Comparison: Musinsa Emphasizes "Practical Use" vs. Coupang's "Flood of Criticism."

Musinsa coupons are available for immediate use on core platforms, including 20,000 won for Musinsa stores, 20,000 won for shoes, 5,000 won for beauty products, and 5,000 won for used goods. When an additional 10,000 won of Musinsa money is charged, a 5,000 won cashback is provided, offering a perceived benefit of 55,000 won. On the other hand, Coupang has been criticized for its "tricky compensation" centered around services with low usage rates, such as the 5,000 won total coupon, 5,000 won for Coupang Eats, 20,000 won for Travel, and 20,000 won for R.LUX. There was also controversy over falling short of the legal minimum compensation amount of 100,000 won per person.

Background of the lawsuit: Appeal withdrawn 9 days after Coupang's defeat

The dispute began when two Coupang executives transferred to Musinsa in the first half of 2025. Coupang filed an injunction with the Seoul Eastern District Court in July, claiming that Rocket Delivery had leaked trade secrets and violated a non-compete agreement. However, the request was dismissed on November 24. The court (Judge Kim Jeong-min) characterized Rocket Delivery as a "massive capital investment system" and concluded that it was "information about overseas companies' introductions and patents," limiting the high salaries and bonuses (the specific amounts were undisclosed, but industry estimates estimate more than 1 billion won annually) to "remuneration for labor.

Coupang appealed on December 8th, but withdrew it on the 17th, ending the five-month dispute. Musinsa stated, "We have confirmed the freedom of talent movement," and "We will continue to hire fairly.

Industry Repercussions: Controversy Over "Gapjil" Amid Intensifying Competition for Talent

In the domestic e-commerce market, Coupang's frequent talent exodus has led to active scouting by competitors like Musinsa and 29CM. Coupang is facing a hearing and class action lawsuit (480,000 participants, potential damages of 3.37 trillion won) due to a recent personal information leak (33.7 million people, the largest in Korea), and the timing of its withdrawal of the appeal is crucial. Musinsa is emphasizing its victory, criticizing the abuse of litigation, while the distribution industry is reigniting the debate over whether to restrict talent releases from large companies versus free movement.