[Struggling Against the Cold] Riders on Icy Roads Greet Each Other: "Let's Meet Alive"

Firsthand Delivery Experience: Slipping and Falling on Icy Roads
Riders Warn: "Icy Roads After Snowfall Are Even More Dangerous"
Accident Reports Continue to Pour In
"Hazard Pay from Delivery Companies Is Insufficient"
"Government's Preemptive Snow Removal Lacking Despite Forecasts"

On the 9th, a rider in Daejeon who went out for delivery to make a living is running on a dangerously icy road.
[Photo by reader]

[Asia Economy, Song Seungseop, Lee Junhyung, Kim Daehyun] "It's even more dangerous after the heavy snow. Especially when you encounter a downhill road, it's really nerve-wracking."

On the 9th, delivery rider Yu Sehyun (50, pseudonym), whom we met in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, said, "This morning, I fell off my motorcycle while making a delivery and injured my neck and shoulder." Yu explained, "The snow that fell a few days ago is still frozen on the roads, which caused my motorcycle to slip," and added, "Even though I put on a pain relief patch, the injury is serious. I plan to take a break from deliveries today," he sighed.

On the 9th, rider Sehyun Yoo (50, pseudonym) met in Dunchon-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, pointed to the frozen alleyway. Yoo said, "I went out for delivery in the morning, but I fell off my motorcycle and injured my neck and shoulder," adding, "The pain is severe, so I plan to take a break from deliveries today."
Photo by Daehyun Kim

The aftermath of the heavy snowfall that began on the night of the 6th is threatening delivery riders. Although the snow has stopped, there are still many alleys where snow removal has not been carried out. The risk of accidents caused by black ice, often called the "silent killer" on the roads, is also high.

Firsthand Delivery Experience... Wobbling on Icy Roads, Eventually Falling Down

On the 9th, Song Seungseop, a reporter for this publication, was delivering food while walking up a frozen sidewalk in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul. On the same day, while moving to Gwanak-gu and delivering for an hour, he experienced several dangerous situations, including slipping and falling on the icy road.
[Photo by Kim Daehyun]

At 6 p.m. that evening, I personally delivered food on foot for about an hour in the Gwanak-gu area of Seoul. Unlike the main roads with heavy foot traffic, the alleys that sunlight couldn't reach resembled ice rinks. On steep downhill slopes, I wobbled on the frozen ground and eventually fell hard on my backside. After sunset, the snow mixed with dirt, making it even harder to distinguish from the asphalt. With the wind chill dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius, icicles formed on my hair and eyebrows.

The problem was that paying attention to safety meant delivery schedules would be delayed. Even while walking on icy roads, the delivery app kept sending notifications that "the food is ready." Worried that the food might get cold and that both the delivery person's and the restaurant's ratings could drop, I had no choice but to hurry along the slippery path. After the heavy snow, it was impossible to deliver on time unless you risked an accident.

Riders Say "Icy Roads After Snowfall Are More Dangerous"... Reports of Accidents Continue

In fact, delivery workers agreed that "the risk of accidents is higher after the snow stops." Park Kyungseok (49, pseudonym), a rider working in Gangnam and Seocho, said, "During heavy snowfall, all riders are extra cautious, but once the snow stops, people let their guard down and accidents can happen easily." He added, "If you brake incorrectly on a downhill, you can fall immediately and get seriously hurt." Namgung Jinseong (44), a delivery worker in Ansan, also shared, "When it snows and the cold snap continues, all alleys turn into icy roads at night," and confessed, "The other day, I had to stop working from 5 p.m. because the roads became too slippery, even though I was delivering during the day."

Last weekend, when the roads were frozen, delivery workers greeted each other in an open KakaoTalk chatroom, saying "Let's meet alive."
[Photo by Community Capture]

Similar reports continued to pour in on online communities where delivery workers gather. In open KakaoTalk chatrooms, messages were posted over the weekend warning others not to go out for work, along with reports of "falling" (industry slang for getting into an accident) on icy roads. A rider working in Jeonbuk warned, "I fell on the ice and injured my elbow, thigh, and hip. Delivering now is like heading to hell," to which others responded with encouragement, saying, "Let's meet alive" and "Drive safely."

Nevertheless, some riders said they had no choice but to go out for deliveries to make a living. Due to the impact of COVID-19, delivery demand has surged, and many think, "If I go out now, I can earn even a little more." According to Statistics Korea, the value of online food service transactions in November last year reached 1.6393 trillion won, a 60.6% (618.8 billion won) increase compared to the same month the previous year. As delivery demand has increased, so too have fatal accidents involving riders. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of deaths from two-wheeled vehicle accidents from January to June last year rose by 13.7% compared to the same period the previous year.

Poor working conditions are expected to continue for the time being. Snow is forecast to fall in some areas on the 11th, and a polar cold snap is expected to remain over the Korean Peninsula until early this week. This is why there are growing calls to improve the treatment and safety of riders not only when snowflakes are falling, but also when dangerous conditions such as black ice persist.

"Delivery Companies' Hazard Pay Is Lacking" "Government's Preemptive Snow Removal Insufficient Despite Forecasts"

On the 9th, an alley in Nonhyeon-dong. The delivery motorcycles parked there are covered with snow.
Photo by Lee Junhyung

Riders said, "Delivery platform AI tends to set delivery fees based more on order volume and driver demand than on weather conditions," and added, "Although fees do go up when road conditions are bad, it's not enough compared to the risks riders take." Koo Kyohyun, head of planning at Rider Union, said, "Each company has different criteria for applying delivery surcharges, so riders can't even tell why they're getting extra pay," and urged, "A reasonable compensation system for bad weather and a government-standard guideline are urgently needed."

There were also criticisms that the government's snow removal efforts were inadequate. Rider Kim Jahyung (32, pseudonym) appealed, "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, food delivery demand has definitely increased," and added, "I hope the government pays more attention to snow removal in alleys, which is directly related to delivery safety." Kang Byunghwa, honorary chairman of the Korea Infrastructure Safety Association, pointed out, "During the recent heavy snowfall, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued a weather forecast, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government did not respond preemptively." He added, "City, county, and district situation management teams should have switched to emergency mode, and preemptive snow removal should have been carried out, especially in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes and overpasses."

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