Coupang Takes on Labor Issues... Joined Korea Employers Federation Last Year

"Joined for Exchange and Cooperation on Industrial and Economic Issues"

Coupang has been confirmed to have joined the Korea Employers Federation (KEF), one of the five major economic organizations in South Korea, last year.

According to the distribution industry on the 23rd, Coupang officially became a member of KEF in April last year. Accordingly, Coupang is expected to attend the upcoming KEF board meeting and general assembly next month as a member company for the first time.

Coupang Rocket Delivery stock photo / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

It was previously reported that Coupang had been considering joining KEF since 2021. Unlike the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a statutory economic organization that companies join automatically once they reach a certain scale, KEF membership is voluntarily decided by companies.

KEF was established in 1970 under the name Korea Employers Council. At that time, as labor issues emerged as a social concern, there was a growing need for the employer side to respond systematically to labor problems, and KEF took on this role. KEF supports its member companies with collective bargaining and strike countermeasures. When necessary, it also undertakes wage collective negotiations on behalf of its members and directly conducts negotiations.

Coupang's joining of KEF is interpreted as a response to ongoing labor-management issues. Coupang, which builds logistics centers and directly employs delivery workers called 'Coupang Friends' to deliver products directly, has long faced disputes over worker labor conditions.

A Coupang official explained, "KEF is a representative economic organization that has led industrial policy promotion and deregulation efforts," adding, "We joined last year to facilitate broad exchanges and cooperation on industrial and economic issues."

Meanwhile, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) also sent an official letter requesting Coupang to join as a member company in August last year. Coupang has not yet decided on joining FKI.

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