CJ Logistics partners with Seoul metro to deliver lost articles to owners' doors

Yoon Jae-seung, third from left, head of CJ Logistics’ delivery brand O-NE, and Yu Ung-seok, fourth from left, president of Seoul Metro Rapid Transit Engineering, join officials during a signing ceremony at the public service provider's headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. The two entities partnered to launch a direct-to-door courier delivery service for items misplaced on the city's subway network. Courtesy of CJ Logistics

CJ Logistics said Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul Metro Rapid Transit Engineering, a subsidiary of the city's subway operator Seoul Metro, to deliver lost-and-found items from the subway directly to owners' homes, starting Monday.

The agreement was signed Tuesday at the subsidiary's headquarters in Seoul's Gangdong District, with Seoul Metro Rapid Transit Engineering President Yu Ung-seok and Yoon Jae-seung, head of CJ Logistics' O-NE delivery brand, among those attending.

Seoul Metro Rapid Transit Engineering manages maintenance and lost-and-found operations for the Seoul subway system, where more than 160,000 items were reported lost last year, according to the companies. Previously, retrieving a lost item typically meant visiting a lost-and-found center in person.

Under the new service, a customer who confirms with a lost-and-found center that an item is being held and completes identity verification can then arrange delivery and pay the shipping fee through CJ Logistics' website or its O-NE app.

Seoul Metro Rapid Transit Engineering packages the item, and CJ Logistics delivers it to the address the customer chooses.

The companies said the service should particularly benefit people who live outside Seoul or otherwise have difficulty visiting a lost-and-found center in person, removing constraints of time and distance. They plan to work together on customer inquiries, complaint handling and service improvements to keep the program running smoothly.

"We expect Seoul subway riders will be able to get their lost belongings back more easily and conveniently using CJ Logistics' nationwide delivery network," Yoon said, adding that the company will continue to introduce logistics services that address everyday inconveniences.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.