The standing special prosecutor team led by Ahn Kwon-seop investigating Coupang's alleged nonpayment of severance pay conducted a search and seizure on the 27th at the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) complex in Sejong.
The special prosecutor team said it has been conducting searches since 10 a.m. at the Labor Standards Policy Division and the Retirement Pension and Welfare Division at the Government Sejong Complex, as well as at office spaces of the Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor's Smart Work Center. The team also searched labor ministry officials' mobile phones.
The special prosecutor team said the move is "to verify various allegations related to Coupang, including government relations work."
The special prosecutor team is investigating allegations that Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS) withheld severance pay owed to daily workers who worked for more than one year. Recently, the team summoned labor ministry officials and questioned them about their positions at the time regarding the alleged nonpayment of severance pay and the ministry's standards related to changes in work rules.