[Editorial] Coupang founder’s contempt for staff, buyer safety is aware of no bounds

Kim Bom-suk, the founding father of the Korean e-commerce large Coupang and chairperson of Coupang Inc.’s board, refused to attend Wednesday’s Nationwide Meeting listening to on an in depth leak of buyer information by his agency.
 
Coupang Inc. holds a 100% stake in its Korean enterprise, Coupang Corp., with Kim holding 74% of Coupang Inc.’s voting rights, making him the corporate’s head honcho. Nevertheless, regardless of the unprecedented disaster of knowledge for over 33.7 million prospects being leaked, Kim has but to say a phrase on the difficulty.
 
Public outrage over Kim’s vanity and lack of duty has prompted renewed scrutiny of Coupang’s general enterprise technique of tight labor controls, shoddy safety protocol, and squeezing distributors to attain its meteoric progress. 
 
Inside paperwork from Coupang obtained by the Hankyoreh on Wednesday paint a transparent image of how the agency’s management responded to points similar to labor, safety and authorities rules.
 
Messages exchanged between Kim, who goes by Bom Kim within the US, and a former Coupang official in October 2020, following the dying of Jang Deok-jun, who died after working strenuous shifts at a Coupang distribution heart, reveal that Kim ordered CCTV footage to be proven in a approach that will put the corporate in a positive place.
 
“Make sure that no notes about [Jang] working arduous are retained!” Kim wrote in a single message. 

“Why would he be a tough employee!? That doesn’t make any sense!!!” he wrote in one other. “It doesn’t make sense, they’re hourly staff! Paid per hour, not efficiency!”

Kim additionally instructed workers to bypass the non-public data safety evaluate system forward of the 2018 launch of Coupang Flex, a system that hires supply drivers as part-time freelancers. Proof additionally means that Coupang officers systematically deleted emails forward of a Korea Truthful Commerce Fee audit in 2020.
 
When the opportunity of authorities motion appeared probably following a labor-related scandal surrounding supply staff in 2018, an govt steered that appointing a distinct Korean nationwide because the CEO of the Korean company could be a viable resolution. Towards the top of 2020, Kim stepped down as Coupang Corp.’s CEO, and in 2021, he stepped down from his positions as board chairperson and the corporate’s registered director.
 
The present system permits Kim to evade authorized penalties in South Korea regardless of being the one calling the photographs of the corporate. The South Korean authorities should overhaul this technique in order that Kim and others like him may be held accountable for his or her actions. Kim should additionally reply for the disastrous information leak.
 
Bae Kyung-hoon, the minister of science and ICT, acknowledged that discussions had been underway with the Korea Truthful Commerce Fee on the attainable suspension of Coupang’s operations. The federal government must make a weighty choice primarily based on the outcomes of the investigation.

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