Coupang, affiliates found to have committed 205 workplace safety violations

The government has announced criminal prosecution over safety violations at Coupang and its affiliated companies, following inspections that uncovered suspected cover-ups of workplace accidents and insufficient safety measures at logistics facilities. The Ministry of Employment and Labor discovered 205 breaches of the Occupational Safety and Health Act across 105 logistics centers and delivery camps.

Of these, 61 violations will face criminal enforcement, while the remaining 144 will incur administrative fines totaling approximately 1.96 billion won ($1.48 million). Furthermore, separate labor inspections revealed that Coupang had omitted crucial elements of its performance improvement program (PIP) from its employment rules, violating the Labor Standards Act.

The ministry intends to issue a corrective order and impose the fines. The Korean government emphasizes that concealing workplace accidents or failing to report them not only denies workers proper treatment and compensation but also hampers efforts to identify the causes of such incidents and address potential hazards, thereby increasing the likelihood of future accidents.