hankyoreh

As South Koreans spend more time indoors amid intensified social distancing measures to counteract COVID-19, they are consuming more online and getting more things delivered. The result has been an explosive increase in workload for the country’s couriers, who face workweeks exceeding 71 hours and days without any breaks or time to eat a meal. A labor union representing delivery drivers has called for allowing them to rest for a brief period before the upcoming Chuseok holiday. A survey conducted by the union of 821 couriers found that 58.2% respondents said their workload has increased by over 30% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The photo shows members of the union demanding a decrease in couriers’ workload and an increase in the number of drivers in front of the Blue House on Sept. 1. (Kim Hye-yun, staff photographer)