The funeral hall for Kim Dong-sik, the chief of the 119 Rescue Team of the Gwangju Fire Station in Gyeonggi Province, who died in the line of duty at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire site, was set up on the afternoon of the 19th at Maru Park Funeral Hall in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seo-young] Kim Dong-sik, the rescue team leader (52) who went missing at the Coupang fire site, was ultimately found deceased. Amid this, netizens are expressing waves of mourning alongside criticism of Coupang's labor environment and its founder.
On the 17th, during the fire, Kim entered the building's basement level 2 with four colleagues to conduct a search for survivors. After sending his juniors out first, he was unable to escape alone. Upon the news of Kim's passing on the 19th, netizens wrote messages such as "Captain, rest in peace in heaven," "Our deepest condolences," "You are an eternal hero to us and them," and "You are a true hero. We will never forget you," mourning his dedication.
Netizens expressed opinions like, "This fire accident is not the only issue. Coupang has had various problems and has shown no willingness to improve," "I believe Coupang is fully responsible for this incident," "Coupang must offer a proper apology and handle the aftermath of the fire accident," and "Companies that do not guarantee labor rights should not exist."
Meanwhile, a 'Quit Coupang' movement is also emerging. On the 19th, posts appeared on online communities stating that users had withdrawn from Coupang and deleted the Coupang app, showing signs of a boycott. That afternoon, on social media platform Twitter, the keyword 'Quit Coupang' trended in real-time. This phenomenon occurred as existing Coupang users shared screenshots of their phone screens to verify their membership withdrawal or exchanged information about various alternative online shopping malls.
The Public Transport Workers' Union National Logistics Center Branch Coupang Logistics Center Chapter also criticized on the 18th, stating, "Coupang's complacent attitude toward fire and worker safety was clearly revealed during this accident."
On the morning of the 18th, a press conference by the Coupang Logistics Center Labor Union for a safe and healthy workplace is being held in front of Coupang headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, criticism has arisen that founder Kim Beom-seok's recent resignation from all positions at Coupang Korea is a 'trick' to evade responsibility under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. According to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which will be enforced from next year, if a workplace fails to ensure safety and health obligations resulting in fatal accidents, the business owner or management responsible may face imprisonment of one year or more, or a fine of up to 1 billion KRW. However, since Chairman Kim has relinquished all positions at Coupang Korea, it may become difficult to hold him accountable for the accident.
Meanwhile, after the news of Kim Dong-sik's line-of-duty death was reported, Coupang issued a statement on the 19th expressing condolences on behalf of all employees. "We will provide all possible support to ease the pain of the fallen firefighter and the grieving bereaved families. We will mobilize all our capabilities and make our best efforts to ensure that such unfortunate incidents never happen again," the statement said.
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