Major delivery companies will pause operations on June 3, the date of the presidential election, to protect workers’ right to cast their ballots. (123rf)
Major delivery companies will pause operations on June 3, the date of the presidential election, to protect workers’ right to cast their ballots. (123rf)

Major logistics firms including CJ Logistics, Hanjin and Lotte have announced they will suspend deliveries on the June 3 presidential election day, as they did in 2022.

What’s different this time is the participation of Coupang, the South Korean e-commerce giant that had kept operations running during past elections. This year, it will also pause deliveries, giving its workers the day off.

The decision followed a press conference on Wednesday by the National Union of Delivery Workers and several civic groups in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. They called on the government to recommend a nationwide halt in parcel services on the election day, arguing that delivery workers should be given time to vote.

At the event, union leaders also singled out Coupang, accusing the company of escalating competition and worsening conditions for workers.

“Because of Coupang, all the other logistics firms began seven-day delivery schedules to stay competitive, forcing workers to work even on June 3,” the union said. “The 21st presidential election should be a ‘no parcel’ day.”

In South Korea, most delivery workers are not classified as full-time employees. Instead, they are considered “specially employed” contractors, a category that falls outside the protections of the Labor Standards Act.

That means they are not entitled to benefits such as paid leave on public holidays, and the decision to have a day off is entirely up to the companies.


ssh@heraldcorp.com