Coupang, affiliates found to have committed 205 workplace safety violations

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Thursday it will pursue criminal enforcement over safety violations at Coupang and its affiliates’ logistics facilities. Inspections found 205 violations across 105 centers and delivery camps, including suspected accident concealment and inadequate safeguards. The ministry also found violations involving Coupang’s performance improvement program rules and ordered corrective action. It will press the companies to improve working conditions and reduce workloads and hours.

The ministry said 61 safety violations would face criminal enforcement, while 144 would draw administrative fines totaling about 1.96 billion won.

Inspectors identified two suspected accident-concealment cases and opened criminal investigations; they also found 25 missing or late accident reports, expected to result in about 170 million won in fines.

Employers must report a workplace injury or illness within one month if it requires at least three days off.

The ministry found that Coupang had omitted key provisions of its performance improvement program from its employment rules, violating the Labor Standards Act; it plans to issue a corrective order and impose a fine.

The ministry will refer the case involving worker Jang’s 2020 death to prosecutors with a recommendation against indictment because the statute of limitations has expired. Officials said they could not establish a criminal concealment offense, noting the death had been reported and investigators had not confirmed interference with compensation approval.

Published Oct 22, 2026 3:06 pm KST

Inspections find suspected accident cover-ups, inadequate safeguards at logistics facilities

A person talks on a phone in front of a Coupang building in Seoul, Oct. 9. Newsis

The government said Thursday it will take criminal enforcement action over safety violations at Coupang and its affiliates, after inspections uncovered suspected cover-ups of workplace accidents and inadequate safeguards at logistics facilities.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor found 205 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act across 105 logistics centers and delivery camps. It said 61 violations would be subject to criminal enforcement action, while the remaining 144 would draw administrative fines totaling about 1.96 billion won ($1.48 million).

Separate labor inspections also found that Coupang had failed to include key provisions of its performance improvement program, or PIP, in its employment rules, in violation of the Labor Standards Act. The ministry said it will issue a corrective order and impose a fine.

“Covering up workplace accidents or failing to report them not only prevents workers from receiving proper treatment and compensation, but also hinders efforts to determine their causes and identify and address hazards, making similar accidents more likely to recur,” Kim Young-hoon, labor minister, said.

“Coupang must use these inspection results as an opportunity to take thorough measures to prevent further legal violations. It must also take seriously the risks of overwork, night shifts and excessive workloads that can accompany fast delivery and more efficient logistics, and earn public trust by adopting management policies that respect workers’ lives and health,” he added.

The findings followed inspections of Coupang, a Seattle-based e-commerce giant, Coupang Fulfillment Services, its warehousing and packaging arm, and Coupang Logistics Services, its delivery arm. The fact-finding effort was launched early this year in response to allegations raised by liberal lawmakers and media reports.

Safety inspectors identified two cases of suspected concealment of workplace accidents and opened criminal investigations, the ministry said.

In one case, a worker was induced to withdraw an application for workers’ compensation medical benefits through measures including a settlement payment. In another, a worker withdrew a similar application following a meeting with management, while the required workplace accident report was not submitted, according to the ministry.

Inspectors also uncovered 25 cases of missing or late accident reports, which are expected to draw about 170 million won in fines. Employers must submit a report within one month when a workplace injury or illness requires at least three days off.

Other violations included failures to install conveyor safeguards, such as emergency stop devices and covers, and to implement measures to prevent workers from being struck by forklifts. Inspectors also found failures to provide mandatory special health examinations for night workers, as well as deficiencies in the installation and management of rest facilities.

After a labor inspection in 2024, the ministry recommended measures to protect workers’ health. Coupang affiliates implemented some, including separating vehicle and pedestrian routes and automating sorting, but others remained unfulfilled, according to the ministry. Officials said they will again press the companies to improve sorting and loading conditions and revise delivery arrangements to reduce workloads and working hours.

The ministry’s labor inspections found no cases of workers being dismissed solely for failing Coupang’s PIP. It will also recommend clearer standards for selecting participants, setting targets and allowing employees to challenge decisions.

Cover-up allegations were raised over the death of a worker surnamed Jang at Coupang Fulfillment Services’ Daegu center in October 2020. Investigators found that Coupang’s then-chief executive told employees to “make sure there is no record that he worked hard.” Company staff analyzed CCTV footage to log time the worker spent drinking water, using the bathroom, waiting and talking, while the firm disputed reports linking his death to overwork. His death was subsequently recognized as work-related in February 2021.

The ministry will refer the case to prosecutors with a recommendation against indictment because the statute of limitations has expired. Officials also said it would be difficult to establish a criminal concealment offense, noting that the death had been reported and investigators had not confirmed interference with the compensation approval process.

新加坡就业及劳工部周四表示，将对Coupang及其关联公司物流设施的安全违规行为提起刑事诉讼。检查发现，在105个配送中心和配送营地存在205项违规行为，包括涉嫌隐瞒事故和防护措施不足。该部门还发现Coupang违反了绩效改进计划的相关规定，并责令其采取整改措施。该部门将敦促相关公司改善工作条件，减少工作量和工时。

该部表示，61项安全违规行为将面临刑事处罚，而144项违规行为将处以总计约19.6亿韩元的行政罚款。

检查人员发现了两起涉嫌隐瞒事故的案件，并展开了刑事调查；他们还发现了 25 份缺失或迟交的事故报告，预计将导致约 1.7 亿韩元的罚款。

如果工伤或职业病需要至少三天的休假，雇主必须在一个月内上报。

该部发现 Coupang 在其雇佣规则中遗漏了绩效改进计划的关键条款，违反了《劳动标准法》；该部计划发布整改令并处以罚款。

该部门将把工人张某2020年死亡一案移交检方，并建议不予起诉，理由是诉讼时效已过。官员表示，他们无法认定存在隐瞒死亡的刑事犯罪，并指出该死亡事件已上报，且调查人员尚未证实存在干扰赔偿审批的情况。

发布于2026年10月22日下午3:06（韩国标准时间）

检查发现物流设施存在涉嫌掩盖事故和安全措施不足的情况。

10月9日，一名男子在首尔Coupang大楼前打电话。（Newsis）

政府周四表示，将对 Coupang 及其附属公司违反安全规定的行为采取刑事执法行动。此前，检查发现该公司涉嫌掩盖工作场所事故，且物流设施的安全保障措施不足。

韩国雇佣劳动部在105个物流中心和配送营地中查出205起违反《职业安全卫生法》的行为。该部门表示，其中61起违规行为将受到刑事处罚，其余144起违规行为将处以行政罚款，罚款总额约为19.6亿韩元（约合148万美元）。

另一项劳动监察也发现，Coupang公司未将其绩效改进计划（PIP）的关键条款纳入其雇佣规则，违反了《劳动基准法》。该部表示将发出整改令并处以罚款。

“掩盖或不报告工伤事故不仅会妨碍工人获得适当的治疗和赔偿，还会阻碍确定事故原因、识别和消除危险的努力，使类似事故更有可能再次发生，”劳动部长金永勋表示。

“Coupang必须利用这些检查结果作为契机，采取彻底措施防止进一步的违法行为。同时，它也必须认真对待快速配送和更高效的物流可能带来的过度劳累、夜班和工作量过大的风险，并通过采取尊重员工生命和健康的管理政策来赢得公众信任。”他补充道。

此次调查结果源于对总部位于西雅图的电商巨头Coupang、其仓储包装部门Coupang Fulfillment Services以及其配送部门Coupang Logistics Services的检查。这项调查工作于今年年初启动，旨在回应自由派议员和媒体报道提出的指控。

该部表示，安全检查员发现了两起涉嫌隐瞒工作场所事故的案件，并已展开刑事调查。

据该部门称，其中一起案件中，一名工人被诱导通过包括支付和解金在内的手段撤回了工伤医疗福利申请。另一起案件中，一名工人在与管理层会面后撤回了类似的申请，但所需的工伤事故报告并未提交。

检查人员还发现了25起事故报告缺失或迟交的案例，预计将面临约1.7亿韩元的罚款。根据规定，如果工伤或职业病需要至少三天的休假，雇主必须在一个月内提交报告。

其他违规行为包括未安装传送带安全防护装置（例如紧急停止装置和防护罩），以及未采取措施防止工人被叉车撞击。检查人员还发现，未对夜班工人提供强制性特殊健康检查，以及休息设施的安装和管理存在缺陷。

2024年劳动监察后，该部建议采取措施保护工人健康。据该部称，Coupang旗下公司已落实部分措施，包括分离车辆和行人路线以及实现分拣自动化，但其他措施仍未落实。官员表示，他们将再次敦促各公司改善分​​拣和装载条件，并调整配送安排，以减轻工作量和缩短工时。

劳动部的调查发现，没有工人仅仅因为未能通过Coupang的绩效改进计划（PIP）而被解雇。调查部还将建议制定更清晰的参与者遴选标准、目标设定标准以及允许员工对决定提出质疑的机制。

2020年10月，一名姓张的员工在Coupang物流服务公司大邱中心死亡，此事引发了掩盖真相的指控。调查人员发现，Coupang当时的首席执行官曾指示员工“确保没有记录显示他工作很努力”。公司员工分析了监控录像，记录了该员工喝水、上厕所、等待和交谈的时间，而公司则否认了有关其死因与过度劳累有关的报道。2021年2月，该员工的死因被认定为工伤。

该部将把此案移交检察机关，并建议不予起诉，因为诉讼时效已过。官员们还表示，很难认定存在隐瞒罪，并指出死亡事件已上报，且调查人员尚未证实赔偿审批程序中存在干预行为。