[In-Depth Look] It's Okay to Be a Little Late

Ham Hyeri / Journalist · Cultural Critic

In the movie "Cast Away" starring Tom Hanks, the protagonist Chuck Noland works for the global courier company FedEx. On his way to work, he experiences a crash of a FedEx cargo plane before he could even finish his Christmas Eve date with his girlfriend. When he wakes up, he finds himself on a deserted island in the South Pacific with no one else around. After being isolated for four years, he attempts to escape the island by collecting driftwood carried by the waves and eventually returns to civilization after great hardship.

Recently, as overwork-related deaths among delivery workers have continued, this film, which was released in early 2001, came to mind. The protagonist’s image of living every minute and second as if he were the busiest person in the world was very striking. At the time of its release, delivery services were not as commonplace as they are now, which made it seem even more remarkable.

It is hard to find a place on Earth where delivery services are as developed as in South Korea. This may be due to the "ppalli-ppalli" (hurry-hurry) culture. There is even a joke that it’s because Koreans are a "nation of delivery." One of the things that surprises foreigners when they come to Korea is the lightning-fast delivery service. From snacks to satisfy late-night cravings to large home appliances like refrigerators, deliveries are made anywhere. Thanks to dawn deliveries that use times when roads are not congested, warm food can be served at breakfast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when online consumption surged, fast and inexpensive delivery services proved even more valuable. It is not an exaggeration to say that delivery services played a significant role in the success of Korea’s K-quarantine efforts.

The delivery market has developed into a massive industry alongside the expansion of the online distribution market. The total number of parcels delivered in South Korea surged from about 200 million in 2000 to 2.54 billion last year. With the increase in online shopping due to COVID-19, 1.608 billion parcels were recorded in the first half of this year alone. We only realized belatedly that this rapid growth has resulted in the grueling labor of delivery workers by witnessing their deaths. Although overwork-related deaths among delivery workers in the logistics market have continued since last year, they did not attract much attention. However, last month, the death of delivery worker Kim from Hanjin Delivery’s Dongdaemun branch Seonjeongneung agency, who was found dead at home, brought the issue of delivery workers’ overwork deaths to the forefront.

According to the "Delivery Workers Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee (Overwork Committee)," 15 delivery workers and logistics center staff have died from overwork this year. Due to excessive competition among companies, delivery firms have lowered delivery transportation fees, which led to reduced profit margins and long working hours for delivery workers. The Korea Integrated Logistics Association analyzed that the delivery fee per parcel dropped from 3,500 won in 2000 to 2,269 won in 2019. Delivery workers earn commissions of 700 to 800 won per parcel.

Large delivery companies, which had neglected involvement in the work of delivery drivers who are independent contractors, are now implementing measures such as increasing sorting support staff, abolishing late-night deliveries, introducing flexible working hours, enrolling workers in industrial accident insurance, and supporting health checkups. However, the voices from the field express regret that there has been no discussion yet about the crucial issue of raising delivery fees. Although the ruling party and government are working on countermeasures, they must actively listen to the voices of frontline workers to ensure that raising delivery fees does not merely increase the profits of delivery companies.

With the preference for contactless (untact) services, the volume of deliveries around the clock continues to increase, and delivery workers suffer from exhausting labor. It seems necessary to institutionalize regular breaks for delivery workers who often sleep briefly in delivery vehicles and skip meals due to overwork. Frontline delivery workers work 15 to 16 hours a day, six days a week including Saturdays, without annual or monthly leave. Even though they are extremely exhausted, they earn income only when they work, and the financial burden of finding substitutes prevents them from taking time off. A reasonable solution would be to allow them to work appropriately and earn income accordingly rather than risking their lives for labor. Official discussions on appropriate rest periods suited to the nature of the work are needed.

Although drone and robot deliveries are being partially introduced, it seems that it will take time for them to become commonplace. Why not introduce a tiered delivery fee system at this time? Since time is money, additional charges could be applied for urgent or specially handled items.

For non-urgent items, wouldn’t it be okay to receive them more slowly?

After all, what harm is there if it’s a bit late? Haven’t we lived without it until now? Even if something seems urgent, most of the time it turns out to be no big deal. If you use affordable delivery services, you can enjoy the exciting time of waiting leisurely for your delivery.

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