Amid a challenging job market for young people in Korea, Coupang Fulfillment Services, the logistics subsidiary of Coupang, reported significant career advancements among its younger employees last year.
According to the company, nearly 80 percent of some 2,400 full-time employees promoted in 2024 were in their 20s and 30s, amounting to around 1,900 individuals. This marked another rise from the 1,600 young employees promoted in 2023.
The promotions ranged from team captains overseeing logistics center operations to key positions such as area managers, operations managers and office-based roles in logistics, human relations and finance.
The company highlighted that its performance-based promotion policy -- which prioritizes merit over age, years of work experience or academic background -- has been instrumental in fostering career growth for young employees.
One standout case was the promotion last year of the youngest HR team leader in the company's history.
Kim Seong-tae, a 32-year-old who joined the HR management team in 2019 as an entry-level employee, now leads one of 60 HR teams at CFS, which has a workforce of over 50,000 employees.
Kim started his career at a small HR consulting firm before joining CFS, where he successfully managed recruitment programs for logistics centers and oversaw the operation of more than 1,000 shuttle bus routes nationwide. His exceptional contributions, particularly during the pandemic, earned him three promotions.
“Given my age and work experience, such opportunities would have been impossible elsewhere," Kim said, reflecting on his career journey. "Coupang’s performance-driven HR philosophy has allowed me to advance quickly.”
Another notable story involved Choi Min-ji, a 28-year-old who transitioned from a temporary to a permanent managerial position in record time.
After joining the inventory management team at Coupang’s Gonjiam Logistics Center as a temporary worker, she secured a permanent role as a team captain within just three months — a process that typically takes over a year.
Having been unemployed for six months after leaving her previous job, Choi saw potential in the logistics industry and joined CFS. “At Coupang, performance matters more than tenure. I’ve been able to quickly develop my expertise and start a ‘second career’ in a completely different field,” she said.
According to a 2023 report by Statistics Korea, young people face an average wait of 11.5 months to secure their first job — the longest average wait since data collection began in 2006. In the second quarter of 2024, the number of newly created wage jobs for individuals in their 20s dropped by 136,000 compared to the previous year.
But Coupang’s expanding customer base has fueled the growth of regional logistics facilities, creating a virtuous cycle of job creation and career opportunities for young workers.
As of September last year, some 15,000 employees in their 20s and 30s were working at Coupang’s regional logistics centers in areas such as Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. The demographic accounted for 51 percent of the total workforce at these centers, which offer a five-day workweek, full insurance benefits and robust parental leave programs.
“We remain committed to offering career growth opportunities to young employees who take the initiative and deliver strong performance, staying aligned with our ‘Wow the Customer’ philosophy,” a CFS official said. “Our focus is on supporting the development of young professionals as they navigate the job market during uncertain economic times.”
hykim@heraldcorp.com
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