What happened to the Coupang logistics worker who died in 2020?

The worker died of acute myocardial infarction after an overnight shift. The circumstances raised suspicions that he had been overworked.

What action are the bereaved family members seeking over the labor ministry’s handling of the Coupang case?

They asked the state auditor to inspect the labor ministry, arguing that the government’s failure to investigate the case properly led to the statute of limitations expiring.

Bereaved family members denounce labor inspection results on Coupang

Q: Why did the labor ministry decline to recommend a criminal investigation into the alleged Coupang cover-up?

The ministry said the statute of limitations had already expired. Its probe found that Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk had ordered that records indicating the worker had worked hard not be kept.

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Summary

Bereaved family members of a Coupang logistics worker who died in 2020 denounced the labor ministry’s inspection results on Friday, saying the company received a free pass. The ministry said Thursday it would not recommend a criminal investigation into alleged efforts to cover up the death because the statute of limitations had expired. The family members asked the state auditor to inspect the ministry, arguing that its failure to investigate properly allowed the deadline to pass.

Key Facts

The worker died of acute myocardial infarction after an overnight shift, raising suspicions of overwork.
The ministry’s probe found that Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk had ordered that records indicating the employee had worked hard not be kept.
The family members said in a press statement that they had requested a state audit of the labor ministry.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 23, 2026 12:27 pm KST

Bereaved family members of industrial accident victims at e-commerce giant Coupang and members of a committee demanding improved working conditions for the company's workers hold a press conference outside the labor ministry's regional office in central Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Bereaved family members of industrial accident victims at Coupang on Friday denounced the results of a labor inspection into the online retailer, accusing the labor ministry of giving the company a "free pass."

After an inspection of the company, the labor ministry said Thursday it decided not to recommend a criminal investigation into cover-up allegations surrounding the death of a Coupang logistics worker in 2020.

The worker died of acute myocardial infarction following an overnight shift, raising suspicions of overwork.

While the probe found that Coupang founder Kim Bom-suk had made orders not to keep records indicating the employee had worked hard, the ministry said the statute of limitations for the case had already passed.

"(We) denounce the labor ministry for giving Coupang a free pass without a proper investigation," the family members said in a press statement.

The bereaved family members said they have requested the state auditor to launch an inspection into the ministry, arguing the government's failure to properly investigate the Coupang case led to the expiry of the statute of limitations.

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