A delivery rider picks up food from a restaurant in Seoul, June 19, 2025. Newsis
Korea’s delivery sector is rapidly becoming a major channel for the illegal employment of foreign workers, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The trend has also raised concerns about safety because of inadequate checks on licenses and insurance, while domestic delivery riders say the growing competition is making it harder to secure delivery calls.
The ministry reported that the number of foreigners caught working illegally in the delivery and courier sector surged from 117 in 2023 to 486 last year.
Under current regulations, delivery work is permitted only for foreigners holding certain residency statuses, including the F-2 resident visa, F-5 permanent resident visa and F-6 marriage visa. However, cases continue to emerge of foreigners working as delivery riders while on nonprofessional employment visas like E-9 or student visas like D-2.
Many foreign riders circumvent restrictions by using accounts registered under Korean citizens’ names. Delivery agencies reportedly secure multiple accounts under Korean identities and rent them to foreign riders for monthly fees of 200,000 to 300,000 won ($136 to $204).
Major delivery platforms restrict account registration by foreigners. However, some riders bypass the system by logging into Korean-registered accounts and sharing authentication codes, even when using mobile phones registered under foreign names.
The main reason foreign workers are drawn to delivery jobs is the relatively high income.
According to data from delivery platform Barogo, full-time riders earn an average of 3.47 million won per month, while the top 20 percent can make between 5 million and 7 million won.
The high earnings have fueled posts on overseas online communities and social media promoting Korea’s delivery market. Some claim riders can make up to 400,000 won a day even without speaking Korean, if they rely on translation apps.
Source: Korea Times News
