Coupang dismisses call to hire foreign delivery workers
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Friday that Coupang has declined to follow its recommendation to expand the hiring of foreign delivery workers, prompting the watchdog to publicly disclose the decision aimd mounting scrutiny of the e-commerce giant.
According to the commission, the case stemmed from a complaint filed by an individual who applied to work as a Coupang delivery driver in 2022 but was rejected on the day of a driving test solely because he was a foreign national.
Coupang argued that foreign workers have communication difficulties, are unfamiliar with Korean geography and that there is a need to protect jobs for Korean citizens.
However, the commission concluded that the rejection constituted discrimination based on nationality.
The commission said delivery work is largely non-face-to-face and does not require advanced language proficiency, adding that holding a Korean driver's license is what makes delivery drivers capable of performing the job.
“It is difficult to view it as reasonable to restrict employment opportunities for foreigners from the outset on the grounds of prioritizing quality jobs for Korean nationals,” the commission said.
Despite the recommendation, Coupang’s delivery subsidiary, Coupang Logistics Services, informed the commission that it has no plans to implement the measures, the watchdog said.
The commission noted that while Coupang does employ a limited number of foreign workers, it has no intention of broadly expanding recruitment. It said the decision to disclose the refusal was made after determining that the company had formally rejected the recommendation.
Meanwhile, Coupang is currently under intense scrutiny over a massive data breach that exposed tens of millions of customer accounts, prompting government investigations, special audits and a presidential-level emergency meeting on how to respond.
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