Food delivery drivers in South Korea face a high risk of work-related injuries and even death

Food delivery drivers in South Korea face a high risk of work-related injuries and even death [1]. In 2020, at least 14 delivery drivers died while on the job, and the number of reported accidents increased by 18 percent compared to the previous year [4]. The demanding work schedule of these drivers has led to a phenomenon called "delivery deaths," where drivers die from overwork, traffic accidents, or health problems caused by long hours on the job.

One tragic example is the story of Lee Seong-Wook, a delivery driver who works around 90 hours a week in Seoul. Seong-Wook knows how easily it could have been him after Im Gwang-Soo, a 48-year-old father of two, suffered a massive brain haemorrhage and slipped into a coma. Doctors gave him a 5 per cent chance of survival [1]. Another driver who died on the job was Jang Deok-jin, a former Taekwondo enthusiast who had lost 15kg (33lbs) after doing 18 months of night shifts [2]. Unfortunately, accidents also happen to underage drivers, such as Kim Eun-bum, a 17-year-old who died while making a routine food delivery run on a motorcycle in Jeju Island, even though he was too young to possess a driving licence [3].

The demand for food delivery services has increased in South Korea, with the total value of payments made for delivery food per month in South Korea reaching trillions of South Korean won [5]. This demand puts pressure on delivery drivers to work long hours, sometimes up to 21 hours per day, leading to an increase in accidents and health problems [1][4]. To address this issue, the South Korean government has proposed regulations to improve working conditions for delivery drivers, such as limiting the number of hours they work and providing better insurance coverage [1].