"Coupang's alleged 'blacklist' sparks legal clash," 15 Feb 2024

Coupang Fulfillment Service, a subsidiary of e-commerce giant Coupang, announced on Thursday that it is has taken legal action against a lawyer who has claimed that the company blacklisted over 16,000 former and current employees, as well as individuals associated with Coupang, purportedly to prevent their reemployment or subject them to close monitoring in other situations.

[...] According to the report, Coupang's data comprises details of individuals' previous work record alongside reasons for reluctance to hire, including "inability to fulfill tasks," "health issues," "workplace harassment" and "repeated unauthorized absences." If verified, this list would violate the Labor Standards Act, which could result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won ($42,000).

[...] Kwon said that numerous executives who were union members or involved in union activities had found themselves on the blacklist, resulting in their permanent exclusion from employment or temporary bans lasting 24 weeks.

[...] Coupang rebuts the assertions made by Kwon, arguing he fabricated nonexistent categories from the original document to suggest that it had devised a blacklist using covert symbols. [...] The company refuted the accusation of hindering employment and expressed its determination to hold Kwon accountable for disseminating manipulated data for political motives and souring public opinion.

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