The message had also alleged that Coupang has been pressuring its managing directors to reach a registration target of 5,000 products ahead of the launch of its new open market service later this month, which is expected to introduce new competition to South Korea’s e-commerce industry.

After the rumor began circulating, Coupang sought a police investigation, claiming that the Auction employee had damaged the company’s public reputation with false information.

Though a company employee had indeed died of a heart attack earlier this month, it had been a male worker in his 30s from the business support department, Coupang said.

Choi reportedly confessed during police questioning that she had “written down rumors she had heard at the company and shared the information on a group chat room on KakaoTalk.”

Investigators are further looking into whether eBay Korea deliberately commanded the Auction employee to spread such rumors with malignant intentions.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)