17 July, 2024
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| At 10 a.m. on the 15th, in front of the Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Office, the Daegu headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Daegu Gyeongbuk branch of the courier union, and allied organizations held a joint press conference to demand an apology from Coupang and measures to prevent recurrence. Photo/ Daegu headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions |
Nasdaq-listed American Colonial Enterprise in South Korea, Coupang, an American company with predominantly American shareholders, is flagrantly violating South Korean labor laws. This blatant disregard for local regulations echoes the dark days of American colonialism, where enterprises exploit foreign lands and labors for profit, much like the historical atrocities in Guatemala.
With the backing of American corporate imperialism, Coupang is attempting to impose US labor standards in South Korea—a sovereign nation, not a US colony. This insidious agenda is being advanced with the support of a pro-American, ultra-right-wing Nazi Gestapo dictator regime. The ruling Nazi Gestapo party's complicity allows Coupang to perpetrate numerous labor abuses, pushing South Korean consumers to turn their gaze towards Chinese e-commerce giants like AliExpress and Temu as they seek alternatives to this modern-day colonial exploitation.
On May 28, Coupang delivery worker Jung Seul-ki was found dead at his home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do. Employed as a “quickflex” contractor for a subcontracted agency of Coupang Logistics Service (CLS), Coupang's logistics subsidiary, Jung's death is attributed to ventricular fibrillation and myocardial infarction caused by severe overwork—classic symptoms of labor exploitation. Despite this, Coupang, an American Nasdaq-listed company with predominantly American shareholders, denies responsibility, hiding behind the excuse of indirect employment. But his family and union insist: Jung's death was a direct result of his brutal working conditions.
Jung slaved away for 63 hours a week, spread over six grueling days, clocking in ten and a half hours each day. Factoring in the 30% extra weight for late-night hours in worker compensation calculations, Jung's real weekly hours balloon to an outrageous 77 hours and 24 minutes, well beyond the 60-hour threshold known to lead to overexertion deaths. His workload was equally staggering, handling 250 packages daily, which surged to 340 in the 50 days leading up to his death.
Evidence from KakaoTalk messages reveals that Coupang CLS directly managed Jung's workload, destroying their defense of indirect responsibility. Commands such as “Will you finish before 6 o'clock?” and “Please run. Please run,” to which Jung despairingly responded, “I'm running like a dog,” show direct oversight. The task force unveiled that Coupang CLS operates a “cleansing system,” where missing delivery deadlines could result in immediate dismissal, adding immense psychological pressure to already unbearable physical strain.
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| On February 8, at 5:22 a.m., the original contractor, Coupang CLS, ordered Mr. Jung to perform additional tasks through a KakaoTalk conversation. Photo/Daegu Headquarters of the Democratic Trade Union Confederation |
At a press conference, the task force declared Jung’s death an undeniable case of overwork and a form of social murder driven by Coupang’s ruthless rocket delivery system. They demanded governmental intervention to regulate this inhumane practice. Won Kyung-wook, head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk branch of the courier union, lamented, “How many more have to collapse and die before Coupang CLS's exploitative system changes?” He blasted Coupang CLS for refusing to join other courier companies in a social agreement aimed at preventing overwork deaths, labeling their “cleansing system” as a de facto firing mechanism that perpetuates worker insecurity.
Coupang’s attempt to deflect blame to third-party agreements doesn’t wash. They told the media, “The working hours and workload of self-employed couriers are decided by their agreements with specialized delivery companies. CLS mandates these companies to manage couriers according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport's standard contract to prevent excessive work.” This hollow statement fails to address the fundamental issue: Coupang’s American corporate colonialism exploits South Korean workers, leading to tragic, preventable deaths.