Park Ji-hyun, former interim Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, who recently worked a part-time shift at Coupang, voiced a critical view of dawn delivery.
The former Chairperson posted an article on her social media on the 19th titled "A daily wage of 190,000 won, the real story behind it." Earlier, she said she worked at a Coupang logistics center from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. in on Sep. and received 199,548 won.
The former Chairperson said, "Only after time passed (after doing the Coupang part-time job myself) did I come to understand Coupang's structure," and cited conditions of the Coupang work promotion: ▲ new helpers with no work history at a CLS camp within the previous 28 days ▲ no additional pay for tardiness or early leave ▲ no overlap with other promotions ▲ no eligibility to apply for a CLS contract position afterward. She said, "These phrases show clear facts," adding, "The high hourly wage is a one-time bait given only to 'new workers,' not existing workers."
The former Chairperson said, "The logistics center shift from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. was grueling and intense. The daily wage of 190,000 won was the price exchanged for that much sweat, stamina and time," and added, "And since then, I have never once seen that promotion text with 'a daily wage of 190,000 won' again. It was a structure where the longer you worked, the less the allowances became, a system where the more experience you gained, the less the rewards became."
The former Chairperson said, "Even as experience builds, the hourly wage does not rise, and people in urgent need of a livelihood end up making a 'forced choice,' not a 'choice,' in the reality of dawn delivery and logistics-center labor. Knowing this, can we say dawn delivery is essential?" and added, "Before saying it is an individual's choice, we must first ask whether that choice is in fact an involuntary choice produced by the structure."
The former Chairperson said, "The problem is not individual grit or choice, but the structure," adding, "Whose time and body are our 'speed' and 'convenience' using as an expense? I believe politics and change begin with confronting that structure."