"Seoul High Court rules platform delivery riders are workers under the Labour Standards Act", 8 July 2026

The Seoul High Court has ruled that delivery riders working through platforms also qualify as workers under the Labour Standards Act. The court found in favour of the plaintiff, a member of the Rider Union, in a lawsuit against a platform operator seeking to have his dismissal declared invalid and to claim unpaid wages.

The bench found that while working by logging onto the platform's application, the rider was in a subordinate relationship under the company's direction. It concluded that it would be difficult to say an individual rider has full discretion over how they carry out their work.

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The Public Service and Transport Workers' Union said the ruling "recognises the worker status of platform workers", adding that it "reconfirms that employers cannot evade their various obligations under the Labour Standards Act, such as social insurance, annual leave and severance pay, which they are naturally required to bear."(...)