Workers sort parcels at a logistics center in southeastern Seoul, Jan. 10, 2023. Yonhap

Debate rekindled over balancing workers’ health, right to work at night, with consumer convenience

In Korea, where delivery apps have become indispensable, nighttime service are now a routine part of everyday life. Just a click in the evening can bring groceries or other daily items to your doorstep early in the morning.

Behind this convenient lifestyle are delivery people who work at night. Concern over increasing health risks and worsening labor conditions from their long overnight shifts has led a courier union to propose restricting deliveries between midnight and 5 a.m.

The move has reignited debate over how to balance couriers’ health with their right to work overnight, and with consumer expectations for near-instant delivery.

The proposal came from the couriers' union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country’s two major umbrella labor groups, at last month’s meeting of the courier social dialogue council — a forum launched in September by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to address labor conditions in the delivery industry.

This council had previously met twice in 2021, when parcel volumes surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and overwork among couriers became a major concern. At the time, key stakeholders, including labor unions and delivery companies, agreed on measures to ease long working hours, including introducing a 60-hour weekly limit.

Yet the expansion of late-night delivery in recent years has revived the problem, leading to a new round of discussions.

Members of a civic group calling for measures to prevent overwork among couriers hold a press conference in front of Coupang’s headquarters in Songpa District, Seoul, March 8, 2021. Newsis

Han Sun-bum, policy director of the couriers' union under the KCTU, told The Korea Times that minor adjustments to working hours would not adequately address the nature of overnight delivery work.

“For example, Coupang, the dominant player in overnight delivery in Korea, requires couriers to make three trips between their delivery zones and company distribution camps during a single night shift — around 10 p.m., 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.,” Han said.

Han added that Coupang couriers must still meet the 7 a.m. delivery deadline while making these multiple runs, as repeatedly missing it can result in losing their assigned delivery areas.

“This system significantly increases time spent on the road and creates extremely demanding workloads,” Han said.

Coupang told The Korea Times it had no comment on the KCTU’s proposal.

However, an industry source familiar with the matter said restricting Coupang’s overnight Rocket Delivery service or its Rocket Fresh dawn grocery delivery program would be difficult given current consumer habits.

“There is strong demand for late-night delivery,” the source said. “For fresh food, many customers order ingredients for use in the morning, and restaurants often rely on late-night deliveries for their daily menus.”

The source added that some couriers prefer late-night delivery because the work feels quieter and less intrusive for residents. In fact, the Coupang Partners Association, which represents roughly 10,000 Coupang couriers, said on Monday that it opposes the proposal to restrict late-night deliveries.

A Coupang courier searches for packages inside his delivery truck in Seoul, June 4. Korea Times photo by Nam Dong-gyun

“Those calling for this ban are effectively pushing to eliminate the very jobs of late-night couriers,” the association said.

The association’s recent survey of 2,405 night-shift couriers showed 93 percent opposed restricting late-night delivery hours. Of them, 43 percent preferred night work because it is easier to move around, while 29 percent cited higher pay and 22 percent said the schedule offers more daytime flexibility.

Other major delivery companies said they do not operate nighttime services, or that such service makes up only a small share of their volume. As of last year, Coupang Logistics Services accounted for 37.6 percent of Korea’s parcel delivery market, followed by CJ Logistics at 27.6 percent, Lotte Global Logistics at 10.3 percent and Hanjin at 9.7 percent, according to Meritz Securities Research Center.

Opinions within labor circles are also divided. Lee Ji-heon, spokesperson for the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, another umbrella union, said the group is not calling for full restrictions on late-night delivery.

“Some workers rely on these shifts for their livelihoods, and an outright ban would leave them without a viable alternative,” Lee said. “But the health risks are real. We’re seeking phased measures to reduce the burden rather than an immediate shutdown.”

Parcels are stacked at a logistics center in southeastern Seoul, Jan. 10, 2023. Yonhap

Consumer groups have also expressed concerns, arguing that restrictions would inconvenience customers and disrupt businesses.

As of last year, approximately 15 million people were subscribed to Coupang’s Wow membership, which includes access to Rocket Delivery. When including users of other platforms such as Market Kurly, the number of customers who use nighttime delivery services is estimated to be around 20 million.

“A blanket ban on early-morning delivery would affect the livelihoods of logistics workers and related industries,” the Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty said in a statement last week. “We need a balanced solution that protects workers’ rights and safety while also considering consumer and public interests.”

Another advocacy group, With Consumer, also criticized the proposal as outdated. In a survey the group conducted between September and October, 64.1 percent of 1,000 respondents said they would face inconvenience if late-night delivery services were halted or reduced.

“I use early-morning delivery almost every day,” said Kim Jae-woo, a 28-year-old office worker. “Mostly for daily essentials or things I suddenly need for work.”

Kim said any restriction would immediately affect his routine. “I can’t shop after work because of the hours. Without such a service, a big part of my daily life wouldn’t work.”

Kim suggested that the service could remain in place, but with higher fees so that only those who truly need it would use it.

Experts say the debate should also raise questions about the structural reasons behind the need for nighttime delivery.

“There are workers who prefer these hours, but would they still choose them if daytime jobs offered the same conditions?” said Park Eun-jeong, a labor law professor at Korea National Open University. “Consumers rely on late-night delivery because they lack time to shop during the day. The question we should be asking isn’t why we need to receive packages at dawn. It’s why we don’t have time to shop.”