Lee Jae-myung "Society Must Pay Attention to Monopoly Platforms Like Delivery Apps"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "It is time for society to pay attention to monopolistic platforms such as delivery apps," and asserted, "The public delivery app (to be developed in the future) should be a platform where consumers, franchise stores, and delivery workers all share the benefits together."

On the 13th, Governor Lee held a meeting at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Situation Room with nine platform delivery labor stakeholders, including Park Jung-hoon, Chairman of the Rider Union, and Lee Sung-jong, Representative of the Platform Labor Solidarity of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Service Federation, emphasizing, "Monopolizing the market and depriving vulnerable groups like platform workers of their benefits does not contribute to normal economic development."

The meeting was organized to listen to the voices of on-site workers regarding the realities and structural problems of the delivery industry, following strong criticism of the new fee restructuring plan announced by the country's largest delivery app, Baedal Minjok (Baemin), as an abuse of monopoly power, and to seek ways to create a fair delivery industry environment.

At the meeting, Governor Lee diagnosed, "It is time to pay attention to the problem of monopoly carried out in the name of innovation," adding, "Although the number of platform workers continues to increase, they are not protected under labor laws, and there is no one responsible for threats related to their work, making the protection of their labor rights and interests an important future task."

He continued, "The public delivery app is not about the public sector infringing on the private sector but aims to create a new system that benefits franchise stores, workers, and consumers by utilizing public assets such as local currency," and added, "If public assets, private technology, and management know-how are combined and rational and democratic decision-making is made in the form of a cooperative, it is expected to succeed sufficiently."

The attendees of the meeting requested that Gyeonggi Province take the lead in establishing guidelines to protect delivery workers so that their basic labor rights can be guaranteed.

Gyeonggi Province plans to prepare specific support measures at the provincial level for platform delivery workers through the 'Public Delivery App Development Public-Private Joint Task Force (TF),' which has been operating since the 6th.

On the 4th, Governor Lee criticized on his social media, "Delivery app companies such as Baemin are pursuing excessive profits by unilaterally raising usage fees by exploiting their monopolistic position, pushing self-employed business owners into ruin," and announced plans to establish measures at the Gyeonggi Province level, including social safety net support for delivery workers through the development and operation of a public delivery app.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.