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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] JEJU, November 10, 2025 — A 33-year-old courier, identified only as Mr. K, died in a traffic accident at 2:09 a.m. on November 10 while working overnight deliveries for Coupang QuickFlex in Jeju. In the week prior to his death, he had worked 83.4 hours, more than 10 hours longer than the average weekly work hours of Jung Seul-gi, a Coupang dawn-delivery courier who died from overwork in 2024 (approximately 73 hours).
According to the Jeju chapter of the Korean Parcel Delivery Workers’ Union, Mr. K delivered over 300 packages a day—at times up to 354—far exceeding the late Jung’s daily average of 237.
Mr. K’s extremely harsh working conditions were rooted in the platform-based employment system used by Coupang. Under the QuickFlex model, a Coupang subsidiary contracts with individuals classified as independent contractors, leaving them outside the protections of Korea’s labor laws. As a result, workers face excessive workloads and working hours with limited recourse.
Records on Mr. K’s Coupang mobile application show he maintained a 4.94 out of 5 attendance rating, suggesting that he pushed himself to the limit to keep his performance score high despite the intense work pressure. Notably, the day of the fatal accident was his first shift back after taking just one day off following his father’s funeral.
Over the last three years, Coupang has recorded 7,640 cases of approved industrial accidents. The occupational injury rate among delivery workers now exceeds that of the construction industry. This case is not an isolated tragedy but a manifestation of the structural risks behind the convenience marketed as “rocket delivery” and “dawn delivery.” By hiring workers as special employment contractors, companies avoid legal obligations such as social insurance contributions while driving ultra-long working hours, effectively placing vulnerable workers outside institutional protection.
The World Health Organization has long classified night work as a Group 2 carcinogen, yet Korea has no regulatory framework to limit night work. The only requirement is to pay 1.5 times the regular wage. Although the health risks of nighttime labor are well understood, unstable workers continue to be pushed into night shifts due to systemic pressures, underscoring a need for comprehensive reform.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
