Bereaved family members denounce labor inspection results on Coupang

Bereaved family members of a Coupang logistics worker who died in 2020 denounced the labor ministry’s inspection results on Friday, saying the company received a free pass. The ministry said Thursday it would not recommend a criminal investigation into alleged efforts to cover up the death because the statute of limitations had expired. The family members asked the state auditor to inspect the ministry, arguing that its failure to investigate properly allowed the deadline to pass.

The worker died of acute myocardial infarction after an overnight shift, raising suspicions of overwork.

The ministry’s probe found that Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk had ordered that records indicating the employee had worked hard not be kept.

The family members said in a press statement that they had requested a state audit of the labor ministry.

Published Oct 23, 2026 12:27 pm KST

Bereaved family members of industrial accident victims at e-commerce giant Coupang and members of a committee demanding improved working conditions for the company's workers hold a press conference outside the labor ministry's regional office in central Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Bereaved family members of industrial accident victims at Coupang on Friday denounced the results of a labor inspection into the online retailer, accusing the labor ministry of giving the company a "free pass."

After an inspection of the company, the labor ministry said Thursday it decided not to recommend a criminal investigation into cover-up allegations surrounding the death of a Coupang logistics worker in 2020.

The worker died of acute myocardial infarction following an overnight shift, raising suspicions of overwork.

While the probe found that Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk had made orders not to keep records indicating the employee had worked hard, the ministry said the statute of limitations for the case had already passed.

"(We) denounce the labor ministry for giving Coupang a free pass without a proper investigation," the family members said in a press statement.

The bereaved family members said they have requested the state auditor to launch an inspection into the ministry, arguing the government's failure to properly investigate the Coupang case led to the expiry of the statute of limitations.

一名Coupang物流公司员工于2020年去世，其家属周五公开谴责劳工部的调查结果，称该公司未受到任何追究。劳工部周四表示，由于诉讼时效已过，不会建议对涉嫌掩盖死亡事件的行为展开刑事调查。家属要求国家审计署对劳工部进行调查，认为其未能进行妥善调查，导致错过了调查期限。

该工人在上完夜班后死于急性心肌梗塞，引发了人们对其过度劳累的怀疑。

该部门的调查发现，Coupang创始人金范硕曾下令不保留表明员工努力工作的记录。

该家庭在一份新闻声明中表示，他们已要求对劳动部进行国家审计。

发布于2026年10月23日下午12:27（韩国标准时间）

周五，在首尔市中心的劳动部地区办事处外，电商巨头Coupang工业事故遇难者家属和要求改善该公司员工工作条件的委员会成员举行新闻发布会。（韩联社）

周五，Coupang 工业事故遇难者的家属谴责了对这家在线零售商的劳动监察结果，指责劳动部对该公司“网开一面”。

劳工部周四表示，在对该公司进行检查后，决定不建议对 2020 年 Coupang 物流公司一名员工死亡事件的掩盖指控进行刑事调查。

该工人在上完夜班后死于急性心肌梗塞，引发了人们对其过度劳累的怀疑。

虽然调查发现 Coupang 创始人金范硕曾下令不保留表明员工努力工作的记录，但该部表示，此案的诉讼时效已经过了。

“（我们）谴责劳工部在没有进行适当调查的情况下就放过 Coupang，”家属在一份新闻声明中表示。

死者家属表示，他们已要求国家审计署对该部进行调查，理由是政府未能妥善调查库邦案，导致诉讼时效过期。