The Broadcasting Media Communications Commission has begun an emergency fact-finding probe to determine whether Coupang’s account withdrawal process constitutes a restriction of cancellation rights under the Telecommunications Business Act.

On Dec. 4, the commission said it launched the investigation because Coupang’s withdrawal process causes excessive inconvenience for users and may fall under prohibited conduct under the act.

According to the commission, PC users must complete at least seven steps to withdraw an account: My Coupang, checking or editing personal information, entering a password, selecting the withdrawal option at the bottom of the screen, entering the password again, checking usage history and completing a survey.

App users must open the personal information tab on the main screen, go to settings, select edit personal information and enter a password, then shift to a PC screen to continue, making the process more cumbersome.

The commission is focusing on the sharp rise in withdrawal demand after 33.7 million account records were leaked. It said hidden withdrawal paths or excessively complex steps could be deemed obstruction of cancellation, which is banned under the Telecommunications Business Act.

The commission said it will impose penalties or corrective orders if it finds violations and will continue monitoring conduct that causes harm in telecommunications services closely tied to daily life.