Coupang-labor inspection

▲ 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 on Oct. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (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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