Why South Korea Is Debating Overnight Delivery
Tuesday, 2026/07/28177 words3 minutes1473 reads
In South Korea, many people can order online before midnight and get their goods by 7am. This overnight delivery service is fast and useful. But it depends on people who work while most customers are asleep.
Warehouse workers sort packages at night. Delivery drivers take them to homes early in the morning. A BBC report says this work has started an important public debate. Some families and workers are worried that long night shifts can hurt people's health.
The report includes cases in which South Korea's workers' compensation agency found that work or overwork contributed to a worker's death. Families say these cases show why the system needs better protection.
Coupang, a major delivery company, says it limits the hours of its directly employed workers and pays for health checks. It also says drivers who work for contractors should get regular time off.
Not every worker wants night delivery to end. One driver told the BBC that he chose night work to earn money. The question is how to keep the service fast while making work safer.
