Coupang Logistics Services (CLS) sent a request for mediation through the Press Arbitration Co㎜ission (PAC) on the 14th seeking correction and compensation of 100 million won regarding an article published by Safetimes on August 7th titled <Coupang's Dangerous 'Unconditional Delivery System'>.

Three months ago, Safetimes reported through the aforementioned article that "Coupang QuickFlex delivery workers are suffering in the heat without weight limits for deliveries," pointing out that Coupang's Logistics Services' subcontracted workers (QuickFlex delivery workers) were left in a blind spot of safety due to the absence of weight restrictions like the "under 30㎏ per delivery" standard co㎜only applied by other delivery companies.

Coupang responded by calling it "distorted and exaggerated false reporting," asserting that "instances of deliveries exceeding 30㎏ mentioned were incidents due to sellers' mistakes and are in no way related to Coupang's or the petitioners' (Co-CEOs Hong Yong-joon, Kang Hyunoh, Lee SunSeung) policies."

Coupang also refuted, stating, "Coupang has regulations in place that restrict items over 30㎏ upon arrival, so the report suggesting that QuickFlex delivery workers suffer from excessive labor without weight restrictions, unlike other delivery companies, is false."

They stated, "However, it is possible for items exceeding 30㎏ to be delivered due to mistakes made by suppliers or sellers," and clarified, "This is not due to the absence of regulations but can occur rarely due to errors made by suppliers."

Coupang is claiming that reporting on excessive labor of delivery workers is a false claim since it has regulations.

However, Safetimes considers this as Coupang's far-fetched claim.

The fact that Coupang "has regulations on weight restrictions" and "the actual failure to implement these regulations at the delivery site" are separate issues without a causal relationship.

It seems that Coupang is pressuring the media by making an issue out of the fact of the existence or absence of regulations and engaging in unreasonable nitpicking.

There are suspicions that the major Korean conglomerate is attempting to silence the media which criticized the issue of "worker safety" by utilizing its financial power. 

Suspicions have escalated as Coupang has not raised any complaints, corrections, or objections regarding the article even once within three months since the publication in this newspaper, but suddenly filed a complaint with the Press Arbitration Co㎜ission.

◇ "Coupang does not deliver items over 30㎏" - Ultimately a Lie

Moreover, the delivery of items over 30㎏, which Coupang claims to be "false or a mistake," has been confirmed as true according to Safetimes' verification. It is suspected that goods are sold overtly under the guise of a "mistake."

This highlights the serious moral hazard of Coupang, the top player in the Korean retail industry.

Coupang's claim of "rarely occurring mistakes" is happening far too frequently.

After receiving the attendance request from the Press Arbitration Co㎜ission, Safetimes placed an order on the 16th for a Shinil Premium Portable Air Conditioner sold through Coupang's Rocket Delivery (priced at 339,450 won and weighing 33㎏). The purchase was made using the Safetimes corporate credit card.

The delivery was indeed "rocket-fast." The portable air conditioner was delivered to the Safetimes editorial office located on the 3rd floor in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the next day, the 17th, at 11 a.m. Safetimes editorial office reporters observed one delivery worker laboriously doing the delivery.

The issue lies in the fact that the product (air conditioner) sales page explicitly states its weight as 33㎏.

To uphold journalistic fairness, Safetimes also purchased a scale (priced at 54,100 won) from Coupang.

Two Safetimes reporters moved the delivered product to the editorial office and measured its weight, which resulted in 37.6㎏. This exceeds the weight indicated in the product description by 4.6㎏.

This confirms that Coupang has been selling items well over 30㎏ while 'explicitly' indicating their weight. This revelation exposes Coupang for neglecting the safety of delivery workers and subjecting them to excessive labor.

The sudden demand for 100 million won as compensation, claiming "false reporting," after three months of complete silence towards the media that reported the truth, raises serious doubts about the bac㎏round and intention behind Coupang's actions.

Coupang is deviating from the customary practice of company representatives attending the Press Arbitration Co㎜ission. It has appointed Lawyer Kim Kijung as its legal representative, exhibiting a semblance of implicit threat towards normal journalistic reporting.

It appears to be exploiting the Press Arbitration Act not for its intended purpose of regular mediation but as a premeditated move for unconditional litigation aimed at silencing media publishing negative articles. 

In fact, Coupang QuickFlex workers say, "There is no weight limit for Coupang delivery."

◇ "Items over 30㎏ cannot be stored in Coupang warehouses" - Another Lie

What is even more serious is the shocking confirmation that products stated by Coupang as "unable to be stored in Coupang warehouses" are on the verge of being delivered.

Coupang firmly asserts that individual items of which the sum of width, length, and height exceeds 250㎝ or weigh over 30㎏ (including packaging materials) cannot be stored in their warehouses.

However, doubts arose upon viewing photos of the interior of Coupang's Warehouse A, submitted by Safetimes readers, whether such standards even exist.

In addition to the air conditioners weighing more than 30㎏ already delivered to Safetimes, it is suspected that Warehouse A is also stacked with items that violate the standard.

Particularly, most mattresses sold through Coupang's Rocket Delivery are confirmed to violate the standards as the sum of width, length, and height including packaging exceeds 250㎝.

In an interview with Safetimes, the representative from the National Courier Labor Union's Coupang branch stated, "Coupang delivery workers did not even know the existence of weight limit regulations." 

He mentioned, "There has not been any guidance of weight restrictions for heavy items like mattresses and refrigerators from Coupang, neither have we heard about it from those around us."

Furthermore, he stated regarding Coupang's claim that cases of deliveries exceeding 30㎏ are due to mistakes of sellers, that "That argument does not make sense." 

He questioned, "If Coupang does not verify the weight when warehousing and releasing, what is the significance of the existence of regulations?"

It has been pointed out that Coupang's practice also violates the Ministry of Employment and Labor's reco㎜ended weight limit for delivery workers.

According to these standards, male delivery workers aged 36 to 50 should have weight restrictions of 27㎏ for up to two deliveries per hour and 13㎏ for three or more deliveries per hour.

Coupang faced controversy over excessive delivery weights when a "Coupang Man" in his 40s died of overwork in 2020.

Now that Safetimes has confirmed that Coupang's delivery regulations are not being followed, there are calls for an i㎜ediate on-site investigation by relevant authorities to ensure worker safety.

◇ What kind of company is Coupang?

Contrary to consumers' perception of Coupang as the top player in the retail industry and Korea's representative brand, it is actually a U.S.-based platform company primarily operating in e-co㎜erce centered around Korea.

Coupang Inc., which is the parent company of the Korean entity Coupang Corporation, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and has its headquarters and corporate body in the United States.

The Founder Bom Kim (Korean name: Kim Beom-seok), who oversees the management as the Chairman of the Board and CEO is a Korean-American.

Coupang Korea operates subsidiary companies including △Coupang Fulfillment Services △Coupang Logistics Services △CPLB △Coupay (Coupang Pay) △Coupang Play △Coupang Eats △CP Entertainment.

Coupang Logistics Services (CLS), established in 2018, operates under a three-person representative system led by Hong Yong-joon, Kang Hyunoh, and Lee SunSeung.

CEO Hong Yong-joon, a former lawyer at Kim & Chang Law Firm, is in charge of CLS compliance, safety, health, and human resources.

CEO Kang Hyunoh, an expert in accounting, finance, and logistics operations, joined Coupang in 2016 and has been in charge of the CLS operations department since March.

CEO Lee SunSeung joined Coupang in 2014 in the initial stage of Rocket Delivery and has been spearheading customer-centric management and delivery innovation.