Suspension of Deliveries Extends to Hanjin... Will the Lunar New Year Holiday Parcel Crisis Become a Reality?

CJ Courier Strike Day 25
Delivery Disruptions Spread Nationwide

On the 20th, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, workers are sorting logistics at a courier center in Seoul amid the ongoing strike by CJ Logistics delivery workers. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The delivery disruption caused by the strike initiated by the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union is spreading nationwide. As the general strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ National Delivery Workers' Union CJ Logistics Headquarters continues into its 25th day, the strike has extended to other delivery companies such as Post Office Delivery, Hanjin, and Lotte, turning the feared delivery crisis ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday into a reality.

According to the delivery industry on the 21st, Hanjin Delivery has temporarily suspended the acceptance of corporate customer parcels in all areas of Ulsan and parts of Geoje. This temporary measure was taken due to the influx of parcels caused by the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union strike, making it impossible to process new items. The goal is to prioritize processing the existing parcels to minimize consumer damage instead of accepting new items.

A Hanjin Delivery official explained, "Due to the impact of the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union strike, some branches in Ulsan and Geoje can no longer accept new parcels. Although we are dispatching delivery personnel from headquarters to support deliveries in these areas, it is quite difficult to handle the entire volume."

The situation is rapidly worsening as the Ulsan branch of the National Delivery Workers' Union declared solidarity strikes with four other delivery companies’ unions, including Lotte, Hanjin, Logen, and Post Office Delivery, following CJ Logistics on the previous day.

According to the CJ Logistics Delivery Agency Association, about 1,600 members of the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union are currently participating in the strike. This number has remained steady since the strike began on December 28 last year, which is considered quite unusual in the industry. Unlike the usual decline in strike participation due to livelihood concerns, union membership is expanding nationwide ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

The problem is that the strike, which started with the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union, is spreading to other delivery companies, increasing consumer damage nationwide. Delivery delays that began at branches in regions with many CJ Logistics union members, such as Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province and Busan, are now clearly spreading nationwide to areas including Ulsan, Changwon, Geoje, and Gwangju.

Conflicts between union and non-union workers are also intensifying during this process. Physical obstruction of non-union workers’ delivery preparations is a typical example. In fact, at a CJ Logistics branch in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, a confrontation between the branch manager and union members escalated into a physical clash, resulting in lawsuits and complaints.

As the solidarity strike among delivery companies expands, Logen Delivery is reportedly facing a crisis similar to Hanjin’s, suspending acceptance of new parcels in some areas. The Post Office Delivery union is also pressuring the Korea Post by limiting the minimum daily delivery volume per person to 190 parcels, thereby increasing consumer damage.

An industry insider expressed concern, saying, "The strike that started with the CJ Logistics Delivery Workers' Union is increasingly spreading to other delivery company unions ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. From next week, when the Lunar New Year parcel volume begins in earnest, the nationwide delivery crisis could worsen."

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