[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Kim Bong-jin, chairman of the board of directors of Woowa Brothers, is donating 2 billion KRW of his personal funds to support riders' medical and living expenses. Woowa Brothers owns the delivery app 'Baedal Minjok.' Starting in July, the enforcement decree will be strengthened to prevent employers from arbitrarily infringing on the industrial accident insurance rights of special employment workers (SEWs) such as riders. Kim is using his own money to provide additional support for riders.
On the 3rd, the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service announced that it will sign a business agreement with Woowa Brothers, the Community Chest of Korea, and the Korea Microcredit Shin-naneun Cooperative to support riders' medical and living expenses. Chairman Kim is donating 2 billion KRW to establish a fund. Woowa Brothers will support fund operation and promotion targeting riders, the Community Chest of Korea will manage and distribute the fund, and the Service will guide applicants such as riders who have applied for industrial accident insurance treatment and recommend beneficiaries. Shin-naneun Cooperative will select recipients based on households earning less than 140% of the median income and provide up to 15 million KRW per person for medical and living expenses.
The fund is established to support riders who suffer accidents while delivering food and face financial difficulties. Riders and other SEWs are already eligible for industrial accident insurance supported by the Service. However, many have been forced out of industrial accident insurance due to employers' unauthorized contracts excluding industrial accident insurance coverage. Although the revised enforcement decree will be implemented next month to increase riders' industrial accident insurance enrollment, there have been many criticisms that industrial accident insurance alone is insufficient to overcome riders' high traffic accident risks and financial hardships.
Kang Soon-hee, director of the Service, emphasized, "Through this agreement, we expect to strengthen economic support beyond industrial accident insurance compensation for vulnerable workers by collaborating with the private service industry," adding, "We will actively cooperate by providing information about the 'Rider Support Project' to accident victims who are not protected by industrial accident insurance."
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