Woowa Youths Strengthens Oversight of Illegal Deliveries... "Contract Termination After Two Identity-Theft Offenses"

Identity verification required when changing phone numbers
Financial-sector-linked "Safe Settlement Service" to be introduced next year

Baedal Minjok is strengthening its management system to eradicate illegal delivery practices involving the rental or theft of accounts registered under other people’s names. It will expand identity-theft checks even after registration and impose stricter penalties for breaches of partner-company contracts, including illegal recruitment of delivery riders.

Woowa Youths will implement step-by-step improvement measures to eradicate illegal deliveries involving identity theft. Woowa Youths

Woowa Youths, which is responsible for Baemin’s logistics services, announced on November 11 that it would implement phased measures to prevent identity theft and illegal deliveries.

The measures were developed in response to an issue raised during last month’s parliamentary audit by Kim Gipyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, concerning illegal foreign delivery riders. They aim to prevent cases in which foreign nationals without work authorization deliver orders using accounts registered under other people’s names.

Woowa Youths has expanded identity verification beyond the registration stage to cover the delivery process. Since August, riders have been required to verify their identities through PASS when changing their mobile phone numbers. Starting in December, the company plans to continuously monitor unusual usage patterns to identify accounts involved in identity theft.

To prevent identity theft involving delivery-service partner companies, starting this month, Woowa Youths will verify the facts and check whether the results of any actions taken have been reported back whenever it receives a report concerning a rider contracted through a partner company.

To address illegal recruitment of delivery riders through social media, starting in December, the company will add an option to its reporting channel for users to report posts recruiting riders illegally. Partner companies involved in illegal recruitment will face penalties under their contracts. In the first half of 2027, the company also plans to take steps to have illegal recruitment posts removed following a legal review.

Woowa Youths will also strengthen the penalties for partner companies that breach their contracts. Starting this month, the company will apply a policy of corrective action for a first offense involving identity theft and contract termination for a second offense. The same standards will apply regardless of whether the partner company knew about the identity theft. If a partner company deliberately leads or repeatedly engages in identity theft, Woowa Youths will consider legal action, including contract termination and criminal complaints. It also plans to strengthen its contract requirements for partner companies.

In the first half of 2027, Woowa Youths plans to introduce a “Safe Settlement Service” in partnership with the financial sector. The service is intended to prevent delivery riders contracted through partner companies from suffering losses due to unpaid delivery fees and to ensure that fees are accurately paid to the riders who completed the deliveries. Under the escrow arrangement, a bank will hold the funds for delivery-fee settlements, and riders will withdraw the money directly into their own accounts.

Woowa Youths plans to regularly monitor the implementation of each measure. The company will actively cooperate with the relevant government agencies on identity verification using biometric information, including facial recognition, once a framework is established at the government level.

A Woowa Youths representative said, “We deeply share the concerns raised during this year’s parliamentary audit and are gradually strengthening the system we have operated voluntarily to prevent identity theft, from registration through settlement. Next year, we will also pursue the introduction of a ‘Safe Settlement Service’ in partnership with the financial sector. We will work closely with relevant organizations to create a delivery environment in which riders can be trusted.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.