The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has launched a planned inspection into Coupang and its affiliates after allegations surfaced that they concealed industrial accidents. Whether they induced workers or bereaved families to reach settlements to hide workplace incidents appears likely to be a key focus of the inspection.
Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said at the "meeting of agency heads to strengthen industrial safety" on the 16th, "We are launching a planned inspection of Coupang, where allegations of concealing industrial accidents have been raised and fatal accidents have also occurred, starting today," and added, "We will conduct the inspection based on on-site data analysis and the findings of investigations carried out since Dec. last year."
The entities subject to the planned inspection are Coupang; its logistics subsidiary, Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS); its delivery subsidiary, Coupang Logistics Services (CLS); and about 100 delivery centers (camps) nationwide.
Labor circles have alleged that Coupang and its affiliates have induced bereaved families or workers to reach settlements with the intent of concealing the occurrence of industrial accidents. Allegations have also continued that Coupang demanded that bereaved families or workers not disclose industrial accident facts externally and drafted settlement agreements requiring full repayment of the settlement amount if this was violated.
The ministry has comprehensively analyzed data on patients transported by 119, data on unjustified gains from the National Health Insurance, industrial accident application data, and industrial accident investigation forms. Based on this, it plans to broadly review whether there were cases suspected of nonreporting of industrial accidents or concealing the occurrence of such accidents.