"Can You Work as a Baemin Rider?"... Earning 4 Million Won with 41 Hours a Week

Elegant Youths "Preparing Various Support Measures to Establish Platform Labor as Good Jobs"

Baemin Rider

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Recently, as orders through delivery applications (hereafter apps) have increased, more job seekers are looking to engage in platform labor. Woowa Brothers' subsidiary, Woohan Youth (CEO Yoon Hyun-joon), which operates Baemin Riders, announced on the 12th that the number of phone inquiries related to Baemin Rider and Baemin Connector reached 1,119 in December 2019. This is double the 524 inquiries received in November.

In fact, the Woohan Youth office near Jamsil Station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, is ringing nonstop all day with calls asking about contract methods to work as Baemin Riders and Baemin Connectors. Riders are self-employed, while Connectors are considered part-time workers. Kim Ki-min, team leader of the Rider recruitment team, said, "There are days when we receive over 400 inquiries. We mainly provide phone support for Baemin Riders, but the volume of Baemin Connector inquiries is so high that we guide them through part-time job sites or SNS instead."

The number of people actually entering the delivery business after consultation is also increasing. In the second half of last year, the average monthly number of new contracts for Baemin Riders and Baemin Connectors was 2,600, meaning about 100 people started delivery work daily. Currently, Woohan Youth has 2,283 Baemin Riders and 14,730 Baemin Connectors active.

Platform workers such as Riders and Connectors have relatively flexible delivery time choices. The moment they turn on the app, work begins, but they can stop anytime by pressing the end button. Unlike other jobs, they are not tied to one company and can simultaneously fulfill orders from multiple delivery platforms. According to Woohan Youth, the average income of Baemin Riders in the second half of 2019 was 3.79 million KRW per month. Income increased compared to the first half (average 3.12 million KRW) due to more delivery orders and promotional delivery fees. In December last year, the monthly average income of Baemin Riders was 4.23 million KRW, with the top 10% earning more than 6.32 million KRW. The average weekly delivery time was 41 hours.

For Baemin Connectors, who are part-time workers, the monthly average income was about 1.6 million KRW. Converted to hourly wages, Riders earned about 20,000 KRW, and Connectors about 13,000 KRW. In 2019, the delivery tip paid by customers per order was 3,214 KRW, while the average delivery fee received by Riders was 4,342 KRW per order. Woohan Youth added more than 1,000 KRW per order to the delivery tip paid by customers to pay Riders and Connectors.

Woohan Youth explained that they operate various policies to improve the delivery environment for Riders and Connectors. They have arranged comprehensive motorcycle insurance to protect against personal and property damages, and for Rider health protection, 100% mandatory enrollment in industrial accident insurance is a principle. In April, they plan to introduce automobile insurance for Riders who deliver by car. Additionally, they have separately established a 2 billion KRW 'Woohan Rider Care Fund' to support medical and living expenses up to 10 million KRW per person in case a Rider is injured during delivery.

A Woohan Youth official said, "As the delivery market grows, Riders are becoming an important pillar of employment. We will continue to introduce various support measures to create stable working conditions for Riders and Connectors so that platform labor can take root as a good job."