"Coupang on 'Death During Work': 'Stop Reckless Claims of Death from Overwork'"

Daily Worker Dies at Siheung 2 Camp
Labor Groups Raise Suspicions of Death from Overwork
CLS "Unconditionally Hold Workplace Responsible for Cause"

Last month, when a day laborer working at Coupang Siheung 2 Camp died, labor groups and political circles recently ignited a controversy over death from overwork, prompting Coupang Logistics Service (CLS) to issue a full rebuttal. They argued that demanding the cause of death from the workplace without even confirming the facts while the autopsy results have not yet been released is somewhat excessive.

On the 21st, the Coupang logistics center located at the Seoul Complex Logistics Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Another Overwork Death Controversy... What’s Happening at Coupang?

According to related industries on the 11th, Kim (49), who was working a night part-time job at Coupang Siheung 2 Camp, collapsed around 2:10 a.m. on the 18th of last month while organizing insulated bags called 'Fresh Bags.' Kim was immediately transported to the hospital but never regained consciousness. According to the authorities' investigation, Kim had been working as a site manager at a mid-sized civil engineering company for over 10 years. It was confirmed that he worked there three times with his wife on holidays: the 12th, 17th, and 18th of last month. Kim had mild hypertension and chronic gastritis but was confirmed to have no other special underlying diseases.

It was found that Kim worked for about two hours on the day he collapsed. However, led by the Courier Workers' Union, suspicions arose that Kim took on the Fresh Bag stacking work from the adjacent line alone, which was supposed to be done by two people, increasing his workload and eventually leading to his death. The Courier Workers' Union has been demanding a thorough investigation, claiming death from overwork, as deaths of Coupang workers have occurred recently in places such as Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, where a man in his 40s delivering Coupang’s late-night Rocket Delivery died in May, as well as in Chungju and Jeju. The Courier Workers' Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee also held a press conference on the 9th, demanding a joint hearing on Coupang.

CLS: "Workload Below Average... Not Death from Overwork"

The bereaved family also claims that Coupang’s poor manpower management led to excessive workload, causing Kim’s death. In an interview with a media outlet, Kim’s wife said, "My husband came to me 10 minutes before he collapsed and said he was very tired, but he couldn’t rest and kept working." The Fresh Bag organizing task Kim was responsible for involved putting Fresh Bags one by one into a washing machine to clean them, folding them into box shapes, packaging the Fresh Bags, stacking them, and then moving them. The bereaved family claims that Kim was assigned the physically demanding task of stacking Fresh Bags when the accident happened.

On the other hand, CLS rebutted the overwork death controversy, stating that Kim’s workload was below average and not enough to cause death. CLS emphasized, "The deceased was assigned to the Fresh Bag automatic washing task, which has a low workload, at the request of his spouse," and "was given rest periods three times longer than the legally mandated break time." CLS also explained, "On the day of the accident, he lost consciousness after working on the Fresh Bag automatic washing task for two hours and was immediately transported to the hospital by ambulance."

At the Coupang headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, members of the Delivery Workers' Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee are holding a press conference condemning Coupang in relation to the death of a late-night delivery driver./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

"We Must Wait for Autopsy Results and Verify Facts"

Some in the industry say that since Kim worked part-time for three days while still employed at his previous job, it is not possible to unconditionally hold Coupang responsible before the autopsy results come out. CLS also stated, "Since the autopsy results have not yet been released and the deceased had a company where he had worked for over 10 years, basic facts must be confirmed." The cause of Kim’s death is currently being investigated through an autopsy by the National Forensic Service, and results are expected within this month.

The overwork death accusations against Coupang are intensifying among the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and political circles. Previously, when a helper employee at the CLS delivery camp in Jeju died, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions repeatedly held press conferences to publicize it as death from overwork. Regarding the recent death of a home appliance and furniture installation (Rocket Installation) company representative in Cheongju, Chungbuk, the Progressive Party also claimed that the death was due to excessive delivery work caused by insufficient securing of workers. CLS has strongly requested that the "reckless" overwork death claims that damage the honor of its employees stop and stated that it will correct the facts through legal measures.

Coupang plans to invest 3 trillion won by the end of next year to build integrated logistics centers (FCs) and other logistics centers in nine regions nationwide and newly hire more than 10,000 direct employees. However, concerns are emerging that if the pressure from overwork death accusations intensifies, these investment plans may be disrupted. If overwork death accusations become severe for all death cases, it could negatively impact investments. An industry insider said, "Until the causes and reasons for the deaths are clearly revealed, the issue should not be exploited for political purposes."