“[exclusive] ministry-commissioned report finds health risks linked to night-time parcel delivery, coupang drivers working up to twice the legal limit”, 30 December 2025

A government-commissioned study has found that night-time parcel delivery drivers participating in the research exhibited dangerous blood pressure levels during sleep. In particular, Coupang drivers were found to be working 1.5 to 2 times the maximum permitted working hours, regardless of whether the shift was day or night—raising serious concerns about the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

On 29 December, Hankyoreh 21 obtained the interim report of the study titled “Health Risks of Night-Time Work Among Parcel Delivery Workers.” The research is being conducted by Professor Hyeong-Ryeol Kim (Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Catholic University) at the request of the Ministry of Employment and Labour, and was presented at the 5th meeting of the Social Dialogue Committee on Parcel Delivery held on the afternoon of the same day.

Based on measured data such as heart rate and blood pressure levels from both day and night-time parcel workers, the research team recommended the government regulate total night work hours and reform Coupang’s specific systems, including fixed delivery cut-off times and multi-round delivery shifts.

[…]

The team suggested introducing regulations on average daily working hours and total weekly night shifts. […] Specifically, they concluded that night delivery work should be limited to no more than 12 times a month and no more than four consecutive days.

However, researchers also stated that the collapse of parcel delivery workers cannot be resolved solely by limiting working hours. They clarified that any regulation of maximum working hours must be premised on structural reform of the system that forces overwork. […]

The team proposed replacing rigid cut-off deadlines with estimated delivery windows and prohibiting penalties when delays are justified, by codifying such protections into formal policy. They added that for estimated delivery windows to be viable, appropriate parcel volumes must be assigned and consumer orders limited within manageable quantities.