In the heart of Gangnam, Seoul, a heatwave warning has been issued.
The app notification sounded, and the first delivery destination was 1.9 kilometers away.
The app instructed arrival within 13 minutes, but the estimated walking time on the map was 31 minutes.
After hurriedly walking uphill, I ended up being 4 minutes late.
The next delivery, which followed immediately, was to a third-floor villa 1.4 kilometers away.
This time, stairs were added to the route, resulting in a 12-minute delay.
The amount received after completing the delivery was 3,700 won.
Heatwave hours are actually the busiest
The heatwave hours represent the busiest 'peak type' for delivery workers. Photo by Eunseo Lee.
원본보기 아이콘From noon to 2 p.m. is a time when people are advised to stay indoors,
but for delivery workers, it is the busiest 'peak time'.
The temperature exceeded 36 degrees Celsius, and there was no one on the streets,
but the delivery app notifications kept ringing nonstop.
During four hours, I received over 90 order notifications,
and sweat started to pour down just 10 minutes after starting deliveries.
After about an hour, sweat was streaming down my forehead and chin.
The next order was for three hamburger sets.
I walked 2.7 kilometers, exposed to direct sunlight for 45 minutes.
I became anxious that the cola in the delivery bag might spill or the hamburgers might get cold,
the sunscreen melted away with sweat,
and my hair, damp with sweat, stuck to my forehead.
The delivery app calculates only distance
On the 9th, I encountered an uphill road while doing foot delivery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Lee Eunseo.
원본보기 아이콘The delivery app assigns orders based on the shortest distance,
but the map does not account for hills, stairs, or the weight of heavy bags.
Even as my legs grew weak climbing uphill, I could not stop.
The red delivery delay notification on the app screen
became an increasing source of pressure.
Worried about tripping, I became even more anxious about falling behind.
Amid these conflicting emotions,
I had to keep running.
Deliveries continued, and the weight increased
The next order was a cosmetics delivery 1.5 kilometers away.
The sweat did not stop,
and I was surprised to see my sweat-soaked underarms reflected in the elevator mirror.
The sweat-soaked packaging bag stuck to my hand,
and the smartphone screen was so slippery that it was hard to operate.
After carefully taking a contactless proof photo,
I headed to the next delivery location.
The final delivery included 12 ice creams, an ice cup, and drinks,
with a total weight of 2.1 kilograms.
The zipper of the cooler bag would not close,
and the shoulder strap pressed deeply into my skin.
At midday, the road surface was heated to nearly 50 degrees Celsius,
and going up and down hills made me feel dizzy.
Sweat ran into my eyes, turning irritation into stinging pain,
and white salt stains appeared on my face.
Both body and mind slowly melted away
At 2 p.m., I placed a frying pan on the asphalt
and tried melting 80 grams of butter.
It melted completely in less than 10 minutes.
My body was no different.
I became exhausted and limp, and my mind dulled as well.
On streets without a single patch of shade, delivery work was a matter of survival itself.
The more you run, the more you earn, but taking a break means losing out
On the 9th, items delivered through an insulated bag were placed in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Lee Eunseo.
원본보기 아이콘In four hours, I walked 17,870 steps
and earned 13,900 won.
That is 3,475 won per hour, or an average of 2,780 won per delivery,
falling far short of the minimum wage.
The delivery fee per order ranges from 2,000 to 3,700 won.
For foot delivery, even completing one order per hour was difficult.
The app recommends taking a 10-minute break every hour,
but in reality, this is virtually impossible.
During the 20 minutes I took a break,
more than 20 orders passed by,
and I felt relief only when the phone finally stopped vibrating.
The reality of having to ration water, protection standards are bypassed
A bottle of sports drink costs 1,500 won.
That means half the profit from a single order is gone.
The bottled water in my bag became lukewarm after just one hour,
and by the last delivery, it was hot.
When I got home, my face was flushed red,
and my scalp throbbed.
Foot delivery workers are constantly exposed to sunlight while moving.
However, the Ministry of Employment and Labor's five major heatwave safety rules
are designed for workers in fixed workplaces.
There was nowhere to cool my exhausted body,
and the bench and bus stop where I briefly rested that day
were the only shelters available.
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IndexWorkers in Danger
- "After 4 Hours of Running, I Earned 13,900 Won"... A Firsthand Account of Foot Delivery During a Heatwave
- What Was Worse Than the Nauseating Stench Was the Heat
- Harvesting Salt Means Foaming at the Mouth by Day... and Sweating Salt Even at Night
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Reporter Lee Eunseo libro@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Hur Eunmi eungmimon@asiae.co.kr
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