60thAnni South Korea: Republic of Delivery
By Lee Hyo-sik
The world has become an easier and more convenient place to live, particularly for homemakers, thanks to the expanding ``home delivery’’ services by almost all businesses, sparing us from driving to shopping malls or grocery stores to buy food, clothes and other household items.
Newspapers, milk, pizza, fried chicken and Chinese food used to be among those most widely delivered conveniently to your doorstep. But the list of home delivered items has expanded at an explosive pace over the years in line with rapid Internet penetration, and other advanced information technology devices and services.
Particularly, here in Korea, one of the world’s most wired countries where hundreds of home delivery companies operate across the country, anything imaginable can be delivered in just a couple of days at most, including cameras, TVs, books, clothes and even cars, by a simple phone call or with the click of a mouse. Some say even an escort service can be ordered by phone or on the Internet.
Those who need to deliver business documents or other small items in a hurry can take advantage of ``quick service,’’ a fast delivery service by motorcyclists usually in Seoul and other big cities where chronic traffic congestion is the norm.
Kim Ji-sook, a 35-year-old housewife living in Yeoksam-dong in southern Seoul and an employee at one of Korea’s biggest technology firms, has the majority of household items she needs delivered to her house on a daily basis.
``My family lives in an apartment complex where security guards receive deliveries on behalf of residents. On my way home from work, all I need to do is to stop by the guard post and pick up the delivered goods. It saves me a lot of time from driving all the way to a grocery shop or department store, which could take hours, given the heavy traffic in Seoul,’’ Kim said.
She said instead, she can cook better dinners for her husband and son, as well as rest more. ``When I am watching TV, I often check out home shopping channels to see what items are on sale. If they are selling what I need, I buy them simply by making a phone call. When I have spare time at work, I surf large online shopping malls and buy soap, shampoo and other common household items, as well as order groceries online from a store in the neighborhood.’’
Among other goods, Kim highly regards the delivery of prepared breakfasts as she has to go to work early. ``It is like a war every morning. I simply do not have time to make breakfast. I have to drop my son at a daycare center on the way to work. To beat the traffic, I have to be out early. So, the breakfast delivery is my savior.’’
Efficient delivery network
Behind Kim’s convenient way of life, there are hundreds of courier companies here providing reliable delivery services at affordable prices. Korea’s relatively small landmass has helped delivery service providers and other businesses based on the fact that they can operate more efficiently and thus have flourished over the years.
Oh Young-sik, a 41-year-old employee at one of the country’s largest logistics firm for 10 years, said the volume of delivered goods has soared as more households purchase items from the TV and the Internet.
``The majority of deliveries used to be one person sending something to another. For instance, a mother in a rural area would send kimchi and other side dishes, as well as basic household items to her son or daughter working in Seoul or other cities. But these days, most of our deliveries are as a result of more people buying stuff from home shopping channels and the Internet,’’ Oh said.
In particular, during the weeks in the run-up to the nation’s two biggest traditional holidays ㅡ Chuseok and the Lunar New Year ㅡ Oh said he does not even have time to eat because of the huge volume of packages. ``During the two peak seasons, I usually go to work at six in the morning and go door to door to deliver goods till midnight. I do not have time to stop at a restaurant for food. I usually buy milk and bread, and eat while behind the wheel.’’
But he also said more and more logistics companies entering the delivery market, are making his life more difficult.
``The increasing competition is obviously good for businesses and consumers because they can send and receive items cheaply and in a more efficient manner. But it has become tougher for me and others delivering goods because we make less money for our service,’’ Oh lamented.
Quick service by motorcyclists
Quick Service is a unique delivery service here in Korea for those who need to send packages fast. Motorcyclists, often middle-aged men, deliver documents and other small-sized parcels in Seoul and other big cities where severe traffic conditions are not uncommon. It supposedly takes just one or two hours to make a delivery in the capital city.
Due to the bumper-to-bumper traffic, it takes much longer to deliver goods by car. But a motorcycle can beat the traffic as it slips between the cars. Some motorcyclists even resort to driving on the sidewalks to meet their deadline. Depending on the distance, inter-city delivery charges are around 5,000 won.
They also deliver not only parcels, but also humans. It is common to see students arrive at a test center on the day of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) with the help of the quick service providers.
A motorcyclist, who does not want to be identified, told The Korea Times that he has been doing the job for three years and that he knows how to get around Seoul fast.
``Mostly, companies call us to deliver business papers or gifts. But more delivery companies are using our service to deliver perishable goods to consumers. I think there will be more work for us as the economy improves,’’ he said.
But he also said he works hard but doesn’t bring much home after paying for gas and paying commission to the brokering agency.
Our conversation was cut short after he received a delivery call from the agency. He started the engine hurriedly and took off as if someone could take the job from him.