Coupang Chief Kim Bom-seok's Order in Worker Death Confirmed, but Statute of Limitations Has Expired
The Ministry of Employment and Labor investigation confirmed that Coupang CEO Kim Bom-seok issued a messenger directive, to the effect of "make sure no records remain of Mr. Jang having worked hard," at the time of the accident involving the late Jang Deok-jun, who died in October 2020 while working at the Coupang logistics center in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province. However, the statute of limitations (the legal deadline by which prosecutors can investigate and indict a crime) for punishing the offense has passed. The labor ministry announced it has decided to forward the case to prosecutors with a recommendation not to indict, citing the expiration of the five-year statute of limitations.
The investigation also revealed evidence of another attempt to conceal a workplace injury. Two cases were confirmed in which workers were induced to withdraw industrial accident claims through settlement payments or meetings with managers, and the labor ministry has launched an investigation into the matter. Park Sang-won, director of the ministry's Safety and Health Supervision Planning Division, said, "We have secured testimony, among other evidence, indicating workers withdrew their claims with the company's involvement."
Labor groups criticized that the ministry's lukewarm response from the early stages of the investigation allowed the statute of limitations to expire. Kim Hye-jin, executive director of the Coupang Countermeasure Committee, repeatedly demanded a thorough investigation, saying, "Despite evidence that labor inspectors were involved in concealing workplace injuries, the problem was not addressed."
The labor ministry announced that an inspection of 105 Coupang business sites nationwide, including logistics centers and delivery camps, uncovered 206 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Standards Act. Of these, 61 cases—including the absence of conveyor emergency stop devices and inadequate measures to prevent forklift collisions—will be referred for prosecution, while fines totaling 1.96 billion won will be imposed for the remaining 145 cases.
