Lawmaker, Coupang CEO to Experience Night Delivery Firsthand

Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young and Coupang CEO Harold Rogers will participate in a night delivery experience on the 19th. This follows Rogers accepting Yeom's proposal to try night delivery together, made during a joint hearing at the National Assembly on December 31 last year.

Measures to regulate night delivery have been discussed since last year in the third round of social dialogue led by the ruling Democratic Party. However, little progress has been made in resolving differences and conflicts among stakeholders. While labor groups and the ruling party argue that night delivery should be regulated to protect workers' health, delivery drivers themselves hold different views.

Night delivery drivers have consistently opposed regulations. According to a January survey by the Coupang Partners Association of 2,098 night delivery drivers, about 90% opposed limiting night delivery hours to 40-46 hours. Respondents said they would seek second jobs or look for other employment if time limits were imposed. Additionally, 94.7% opposed limiting monthly night shifts to a maximum of 12, and 93.9% opposed restricting consecutive night shifts to four.

A separate survey of approximately 200 night delivery drivers, commissioned by the Korean Labor Economics Association to Korea Research last year, showed job satisfaction at 3.7 out of 5 points. Of respondents, 78% said they would continue night delivery work, 53% expressed satisfaction with their income, and 66% said their livelihood had improved since starting night delivery.