South Korea’s Overnight Delivery Boom Draws Scrutiny Over Worker Health

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing BBC, South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform Coupang has made pre-dawn delivery a routine part of consumer life through its vast warehousing and logistics network, but warehouse staff and delivery drivers who support the service face long night shifts, too little rest and overwork risks. In 2020, 27-year-old warehouse worker Jang Deok-jun died of heart disease after working night shifts for an extended period; his family said he lost 15 kilograms in a little over a year and had repeatedly complained of fatigue, and South Korea’s Laborers Compensation and Welfare Service later ruled his death was work-related. Official data showed that from 2020 through May this year, 46 warehouse and delivery workers were recognized as having died from strokes or heart disease in work-related cases, though there is no complete tally of how many were linked to night work or overwork. Medical experts said long-term night work raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health problems, while South Korea currently has no special cap on night-shift hours. Some drivers still choose night deliveries because pay is higher and it allows them to care for their families during the day; one driver said he works from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next morning, five to six days a week, with almost no breaks, and earns about 7 million won a month, nearly twice the national average wage. The issue has prompted unions to call for limits on, or a ban on, pre-dawn deliveries, while companies say they have already capped working hours and provided health checks.