On Election Day, should deliveries stop? Delivery workers call for 'no parcel day' designation
As South Korea prepares for an early presidential election on June 3, labor groups and civic organizations are raising the alarm that thousands of parcel delivery workers may not be able to vote at all.
In Korea, most delivery workers are not classified as employees, but as 'specially employed' contractors. That means they are excluded from protections under the Labor Standards Act, including the right to a paid holiday on Election Day.
Although the government has designated June 3 as an official public holiday, that legal status only guarantees paid time off to workers formally recognized under the law, leaving out the vast number of people who deliver packages across the country every day.
The Democratic Labor Party's presidential candidate, Kwon Yeong-guk, issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the government to designate June 3 as a 'no-delivery day.' He warned that failing to do so would violate basic rights. 'Delivery workers aren't just missing a day off. They're being denied a fundamental constitutional right -- the right to vote,' he said.
The demand is backed by a coalition of labor and civic groups, including the National Union of Delivery Workers and People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. At a press conference in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on Wednesday, they urged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to step in and advise logistics companies to halt operations on Election Day. 'It's not an unreasonable request,' they said. 'Packages can wait a day. Democracy shouldn't have to.'
Major logistics firms like Coupang CLS, CJ Logistics, Hanjin, and Lotte have not declared June 3 a day off, according to the labor union. That means many drivers are expected to work on Election Day, often without extra pay. The Korea Integrated Logistics Association has also not issued any guidelines.
An official at one large logistics provider, speaking to The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity, said some of their subcontractors already offer four or five-day workweeks, and that 'drivers can go and vote if they make arrangements in advance.' But labor groups argue that such flexibility is not common, especially under pressure from expectations of deliveries seven days a week.
Under Korean labor law, employers with five or more staff must provide paid time off for public holidays. But since most couriers are technically not employees, they are not covered. 'Leaving them out of the democratic process is not just bad policy,' Kwon said. 'It's institutional neglect.'
For those unable to vote on June 3, South Korea's election watchdog has designated May 29 and 30 as early voting days. During this period, select polling stations will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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