The human cost of S Korea's ultra-convenient overnight deliveries

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, South Korea's huge delivery industry, powered by thousands of warehouse workers and riders, is under scrutiny By Jake Kwon, Leehyun Choi and Hosu Lee Reporting from Seoul Published 44 minutes ago A week before her son died Park Mi-suk asked him to quit his job. For more than a year, the 27-year-old had been working overnight shifts at a warehouse for the country's largest online retailer, Coupang. He steered pallet movers with stacks of plastic bins and cardboard boxes across the sprawling space. In that time, Park says, her son lost 15kg and often complained of how tired he was. But Jang Deok-jun refused to quit. He compared his job to being on a seesaw: if he stepped down, his co-workers would struggle to keep going. The following week, Park found him unconscious and hunched over in the bath. "We pulled him out and performed first aid. We rushed him to hospital, where they declared him dead." Jang died of a heart attack. The state-run insurer that covers healthcare for workers, Comwel, blamed his death on overwork following an investigation. Park wishes she had noticed Jang's exhaustion sooner. "I didn't pay attention to my son's words, so I lost my son. But I hope others won't repeat the same mistake." Jang died in 2020 but six years on, Park is still fighting to end what she believes is the reason for his death: night-time deliveries. Image source, Family handout Image caption, Jang Deok-jun was 27 years old when he died of a heart attack Jang died as deliveries surged during the pandemic, which was often cited to explain his workload. But the working conditions for warehouse and delivery workers have been the subject of a growing national debate, with their union claiming that suspected deaths from overwork have continued. Night-time deliveries have become ubiquitous in hyper-connected South Korea, where shoppers are guaranteed delivery by 07:00 for orders placed before midnight. This convenience is thanks to a huge overnight workforce, from warehouse workers like Jang to delivery drivers. Several companies compete to offer speedy, cheap deliveries but the biggest is Coupang. Founded by a Korean-American, it became synonymous with online shopping in South Korea after 2015, when it started offering fresh produce overnight. It has grown to have an unrivalled network of warehouses and delivery trucks, with nearly 100,000 employees across the business. But increasingly, this industry is under scrutiny. Image source, BBC/Hosu Lee Image caption, Jang's mother Park Mi-suk says workers like her son are becoming invisible Between 2020 and May 2026, Comwel ruled that 46 warehouse and delivery workers, including Jang, died of a stroke or heart disease that count as work-related deaths. Jang aside, it's unclear how many of them worked overnight shifts. Comwel did not say how many of these cases were also investigated for the role of overwork, which only happens if the family asks for it in their claim. And not e