Even Mart Delivery Workers Receive 'Industrial Accident Compensation' If Injured

Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Starting in July, 120,000 special-type workers (특고) such as delivery drivers for large marts and convenience stores will be additionally covered by industrial accident compensation insurance.

On the 8th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that the Cabinet meeting approved the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, which applies distribution delivery drivers, parcel terminal and trunk line drivers, and freight truck owners transporting specific items as special-type workers under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act.

The newly covered special-type workers under the industrial accident insurance are estimated to be about 118,000.

This includes 100,000 distribution delivery drivers transporting goods and food ingredients in distribution industries under the Distribution Industry Development Act and franchise restaurants, 15,000 parcel terminal and trunk line parcel drivers transporting goods between parcel terminals, and 3,000 freight truck owners transporting automobiles, grains, and feed using dedicated vehicles.

From July 1, these workers will be mandatorily covered by the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act and can receive compensation if work-related accidents occur. Employers who receive labor from these special-type workers must report this to the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service by August 15. The standard wages, which serve as the basis for calculating industrial accident insurance premiums and benefits, will be announced in June.

The government judged that special-type workers also need protection from work-related accidents and since last year has included a total of 15 occupations such as software freelancers, insurance planners, golf caddies, and quick service drivers as subjects of industrial accident compensation insurance on par with regular workers. Accordingly, the number of special-type workers covered by industrial accident insurance has sharply increased from 180,000 to 760,000 as of the end of last year.

The Ministry of Employment plans to further extend mandatory industrial accident insurance coverage to vehicle delivery drivers, shuttle bus drivers, and artists. An Kyung-duk, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, "We will strive to revise related laws and systems, including abolishing the exclusivity requirement for special-type workers under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, so that more special-type and platform workers can benefit from industrial accident insurance."

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