"Surely I'll Experience Nighttime Delivery"...Coupang CEO Breaks Public Promise After All

Yeom Taeyoung: "Public Hearing Agreement Broken Unilaterally"
Experience Canceled Citing CEO's Schedule and Investigation

Yeom Taeyoung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that the "nighttime delivery site experience" agreed upon with Harold Rogers, CEO of Coupang, ultimately did not take place due to Coupang's unilateral non-compliance.

Harold Rogers, CEO of Coupang, is attending the 'Coupang Joint Hearing' held last month at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.

On the 23rd, Assemblyman Yeom publicly stated through his social networking service (SNS) that CEO Rogers failed to fulfill the nighttime labor experience he had promised in front of the public.

According to Assemblyman Yeom, Coupang did not provide a clear answer regarding the schedule for the experience throughout the week, and only on the morning of that day did the company inform him that the experience could not take place, citing CEO Rogers' police summons as the reason. Regarding this, Assemblyman Yeom criticized, "The public promise to personally witness the reality of nighttime labor was broken under the pretext of a legal investigation," adding, "I had hoped it wouldn't happen, but it has become reality."

Assemblyman Yeom expressed strong concerns about Coupang's double standards. He pointed out that while Coupang has been passive about its social responsibility regarding worker overwork issues, it has responded aggressively to matters related to its corporate interests. Referring to reports that Coupang's U.S. investors submitted a notice of intent for international investment dispute settlement (ISDS) arbitration against the Korean government on this day, he criticized the company for ignoring promises related to worker protection while going all out in large-scale legal responses.

Assemblyman Yeom stated, "I cannot help but question whether so lightly breaking a promise made in a public hearing, a promise to 'save the workers,' is truly the behavior of a responsible global company."

Despite CEO Rogers' failure to fulfill his promise, Assemblyman Yeom made it clear that he intends to carry out the nighttime delivery experience as originally planned. He said, "Even if CEO Rogers does not do it, I will not stop," and added, "Even if I am alone, I will keep my promise to experience the nighttime delivery site."

Assemblyman Yeom explained that he would wear a smartwatch to directly measure his heart rate and activity levels, and objectively verify the impact of nighttime labor on the body using data. He emphasized, "I will scientifically prove with data how dangerous nighttime labor is to our bodies," and added, "I will not tolerate any tricks that attempt to cover up the truth on the ground."

Yeom Taeyoung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that the "nighttime delivery site experience" agreed upon with Harold Rogers, CEO of Coupang, ultimately did not take place due to Coupang's unilateral non-compliance.

On the same morning, members of the Democratic Party of Korea's Euljiro Committee held a press conference at the National Assembly, calling for the legalization of mandatory delivery service holidays and urging Coupang to observe holiday breaks for its workers. Assemblyman Yeom, who sponsored the amendment to the Act on the Development of the Logistics Service Industry, also attended the event and pledged to support institutional improvements so that Coupang workers can spend the Lunar New Year holiday with their families.

Assemblyman Yeom said, "With the blacklist allegations, disregard for social agreements, and now the breaking of this promise, Coupang's attitude has already crossed the line," adding, "I will ensure that the basic principle that profit cannot come before life is firmly established."

The controversy began at the Coupang joint hearing held at the National Assembly on December 30 last year. At the time, CEO Rogers stated, "I am not aware of any evidence that nighttime labor is harder than daytime labor," to which Assemblyman Yeom responded by proposing, "Let us experience 12 hours of nighttime delivery together." When CEO Rogers publicly agreed, the nighttime delivery experience became a public promise.