"Reluctant to Use Bullet Delivery... Feeling Sorry" Consecutive Deaths of Delivery Workers Spark Consumer Conflict

Some Consumers Refrain from Using Delivery Apps
"Guilt Over Repeated Worker Overwork Deaths," "Companies Must Change"
16 Delivery Workers Died from Overwork Last Year
'Fast Delivery' Within 24 Hours Puts Great Strain on Workers' Health
Experts Say "If Overwork Deaths Increase, Consumer Actions May Become More Concrete"

On January 29th, delivery workers are sorting packages at the Seoul Southeast Logistics Complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] #Shin Mo (27), a freelancer living in Seoul, has recently been refraining from using express delivery services offered by courier companies. After repeatedly encountering reports related to overwork deaths among delivery workers, he said, "I feel guilty because I think my orders indirectly contribute to the overwork of the workers. I also tried to use services from companies without overwork controversies, but honestly, the entire distribution industry seems stained with sweat and blood."

As controversies over delivery workers' overwork deaths continue, more consumers are declaring that they will reduce their use of delivery services. While completely stopping the use of courier services immediately is impossible, they intend to gradually cut back. In particular, they hope to alleviate the overwork problem by reducing the demand for express delivery, which has sharply increased the workload of delivery workers. Experts warn that if such consumer behavior becomes concrete, it could have a significant impact on the entire distribution industry and urge distribution companies to actively resolve the overwork issue.

Shin is not the only one reluctant to use delivery services. Kim Mo (31), an office worker living in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, said, "Watching the controversy over delivery workers' overwork deaths made me uncomfortable because it seems that living under heavy workloads is not much different from our own lives."

He added, "I don't think the working environment or workers' lives will improve just because one person like me stops using delivery services, but as a form of protest, I deleted the delivery apps I usually use. I hope that someday companies will pay more attention to working conditions."

Voices calling for improvements in delivery workers' working conditions are spreading on social networking services (SNS) and online communities. In particular, netizens have pointed out the express delivery service, which delivers products ordered on the same day by the next afternoon, as a problem.

One netizen wrote on Twitter, "The 24-hour bullet delivery is actually a huge burden for workers, but due to overheated competition, it is perceived as a basic service. I hope there will be proper improvement measures even if additional costs are paid."

Another netizen said, "I have decided to stop using express delivery services for the time being," and questioned, "What meaning does it have if only I become a little more comfortable while people are being worn out?"

On the morning of January 6th, participants hold protest signs condemning courier companies at the "Press Conference Condemning Chaebol Courier Companies for Unilaterally Breaking Agreements of the Social Agreement Organization" held at the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

In reality, overwork deaths among delivery workers continue unabated. According to the 'Delivery Workers Overwork Death Countermeasure Committee,' 16 delivery workers died from overwork last year alone.

The main cause of overwork deaths in the courier industry is the express delivery service that delivers products ordered on the same day to customers' homes the next day.

While the express delivery service is an innovation involving the introduction of the latest IT technologies such as computerized order systems and big data analysis in the distribution industry, it poses problems by increasing the proportion of workers' night shifts.

For example, to deliver items ordered on the 11th by the afternoon of the next day, workers must complete sorting, packing, and delivery preparation from late night on the 11th to early morning on the 12th. As a result, the more express delivery is used, the more intense the night and early morning shifts for workers inevitably become.

Night and early morning work increases the likelihood of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, which can lead to overwork deaths.

Lim Sanghyuk, director of Green Hospital, warned in an article he contributed to a media outlet last October, "Among the causes of overwork deaths, night work is even more dangerous than long working hours," adding, "Night work causes sleep disorders and increases the possibility of careless behavior and safety accidents."

According to Director Lim, night work disrupts human biological rhythms and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

He argued, "Many companies claim that they manage so that employees' work intensity does not increase and that overwork deaths will not occur, but this is a very wrong idea. Night work is more dangerous than long working hours, and so-called 'bullet delivery,' where orders placed by midnight are delivered early the next morning, is a delivery that kills workers."

Experts say that if the overwork death problem in the distribution industry worsens, consumers' 'delivery boycott' movements are likely to become more concrete, urging distribution companies to actively improve working conditions.

Professor Lee Eunhee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "Consumers who are sensitive to ethical issues inevitably react sensitively to workers' treatment issues, and these reactions can spread quickly through the internet. If the overwork death problem of delivery workers continues without improvement and worsens, a full-scale online delivery company boycott movement could occur," she predicted.

She added, "If such problems arise, it could also negatively affect distribution companies and workers. Distribution companies themselves need to take prompt action to improve working conditions before the problem becomes serious," she advised.

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