Behind Korea’s booming e-commerce lies the struggle of delivery drivers: rising parcel volumes, shrinking pay, physical exhaustion, and fragmented labor solidarity.
Surging Volumes, Growing Burden
Online communities and social media reveal drivers’ biggest concern: parcel surges. During sales or apartment move-ins, workloads can jump 1.5x above average, with some handling 230–300 parcels per day. This underscores the urgent need for better workload distribution.
Low Pay and Profitability Concerns
Drivers report ₩1,000 per parcel on average, with some cases dropping to ₩500 levels. “More work, less pay” is a common grievance. Regional rate gaps and agency bargaining power deepen inequalities, pointing to a systemic profit distribution issue.
Barriers to Entry and Licensing
Newcomers face hurdles such as the Cargo Transport License, requiring at least two years of driving experience. This deters fresh entrants, worsening the logistics labor shortage.
Loading and Sorting Skills
Drivers share loading strategies—organizing by district, floor, and sub-area. One noted, “At first it’s tough, but soon your body memorizes the routes.” Delivery work demands skill and experience, not just repetitive labor.
Unions, Strikes, and Weak Solidarity
Calls for unionization and strikes persist, but many drivers remain independent contractors, limiting collective bargaining power. As one put it: “In the end, it’s every man for himself.”
Apartment and Alley Deliveries
Apartment layouts and narrow alleys create added strain. Summer deliveries of heavy water and beverages are especially punishing, with some drivers saying, “Without my own car, it’s impossible.” This highlights the unique challenges of last-mile delivery.
Work Intensity and Physical Strain
Drivers describe delivering to 170 households daily, often drenched in sweat during summer. Irregular hours and night shifts disrupt health and push many toward quitting. Sustainable last-mile service requires systemic and technological relief measures.
Solidarity and Community
Amid the struggles, small gestures—greetings, jokes, sharing know-how—foster solidarity. Such micro-connections provide emotional resilience in an otherwise harsh environment.
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