[Initial Moment] A Death in the 'Taekbae Gonghwaguk'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji Yeon-jin] Last weekend, while watching YouTube "mukbang" (eating broadcast), I ordered chicken feet. The chicken feet, advertised as developed with the participation of a celebrity known as a chicken feet enthusiast, were sold through an online shopping mall. During the ordering process, I could choose between "early morning delivery" and "standard delivery," and I chose standard delivery. After a hectic Monday, when I opened the front door on my way to work early Tuesday morning, there was a delivery box. I marveled at how convenient it had become to even receive chicken feet deliveries, but then I felt heavy-hearted when I checked the delivery time message. It was 12:30 a.m.?the time the delivery photo and completion message arrived at the door. Most people would be in deep sleep at that hour, and I hadn’t even requested fast delivery. It was saddening to realize that delivery workers were out delivering packages late into the night.

This year, 13 delivery workers have passed away. Kim (male, 36), who worked at a branch of Hanjin Delivery in Dongdaemun, sent a message to a colleague at 4:28 a.m. on the 8th saying, "If I get home by 5 a.m., I have to eat, wash up, and then go straight to the terminal to do sorting work without any sleep." Four days later, on the 12th, Kim was found dead at home by a colleague. On the same day Kim sent the message, Kim Won-jong (48), a CJ Logistics delivery driver in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, died from respiratory distress while delivering packages. On the morning of the 12th, a temporary worker in his 20s, A, at the Coupang logistics center in Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, was found dead at home. He had no underlying illnesses and did not drink or smoke.

Kang Du-han (39), a CJ Logistics transport worker, collapsed suddenly around 11:50 p.m. on the 20th while resting in a makeshift break room in the parking lot after completing dispatch at the Gonjiam Hub Terminal in Gyeonggi Province. He was transported to the hospital but died around 1 a.m. the next day. Kang was responsible for transporting delivery goods by large truck between the CJ Paju Hub Terminal and the Gonjiam Hub Terminal. Before his death, he had worked from 2 p.m. on the 18th until noon on the 19th, then returned to work five hours later at 5 p.m. on the same day, and collapsed on the night of the 20th. This month alone, four delivery workers have died.

As delivery worker deaths have continued this year, the Delivery Workers Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee (Countermeasures Committee) was established in July. The committee pointed out that the rapid increase in delivery volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery work overwhelmingly difficult, leading to "death from overwork." The delivery industry has long claimed that delivery drivers, who are "independent contractors," can control their workload since their fees depend on delivery volume. They attributed the cause of overwork deaths to delivery drivers excessively increasing their delivery volume to boost commission income. According to the committee, the workload has increased by more than 30% compared to previous years due to COVID-19.

However, some delivery companies are cutting costs by reducing the delivery fees paid to delivery workers. For example, Lotte Delivery, which went on a total strike starting the previous day, has continuously reduced delivery fees at its Songpa branch from 968 won in 2017 to 935 won in 2018, 880 won in 2019, and 825 won in 2020. According to the Labor Standards Act, night workers who work from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. receive a 50% wage premium, which explains why many delivery drivers take on early morning deliveries.

The employment crisis has worsened due to COVID-19. The temporary worker in his 20s at the Coupang logistics center who died this month was a university graduate preparing for employment. He worked more than nine hours a day, five to six days a week, and often worked an additional one to two hours on busy days. He dreamed of being converted to a permanent contract worker by using his diligent attendance as a "spec." The fact that delivery workers endure death from overwork and continue to fill delivery volumes is closely related to the employment crisis. Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited delivery sites twice this month and promised to improve delivery workers' working conditions. It is late but fortunate. It is time to show the power of the ruling party with 180 seats.

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