Seoul to turn 3,000 CU convenience stores into rest stops for delivery riders

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to turn convenience stores across the city into designated rest stops for delivery riders, allowing them to take a break between orders without traveling to a distant facility.

The city announced Saturday that it will pilot the "delivery rider convenience store rest stop" program starting in September, designating around 3,000 CU convenience store locations in Seoul to improve accessibility and ease of use for mobile workers.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon previewed the initiative when he visited the Hyu Seoul Mobile Workers' Bukchang Rest Stop in Jung-gu on Aug. 7, saying the city would make it easier for workers to rest close to where they work by using everyday facilities such as convenience stores. "Seoul ran a pilot in 2024 that opened convenience stores as rest spaces for mobile workers," Oh said at the time. "Linking conveniently located stores to the mobile worker rest stop network would deliver significant value."

Delivery riders face irregular rest periods and short gaps between orders by the nature of their work, making it difficult to travel to a dedicated rest facility. The city said the program is designed to reflect those on-the-ground realities, letting riders take a quick break at a nearby store without the added burden of travel.

The program targets 3,000 delivery riders active in Seoul — specifically those who completed at least one delivery through the city's public food delivery app Ddaenggyeoyo's "Ddaeng Delivery" service in July via one of three courier agencies: Barogo, Vroong or Beyond Delivery.

Each eligible rider will receive a 10,000-won ($7) mobile gift voucher. Riders can use it to purchase water, snacks and other essentials at any CU convenience store in Seoul, and may also use seating areas at participating stores as rest spaces. After the September pilot, the city plans to run the program formally during the extreme cold season (January–February) and extreme heat season (July–August) next year.

The city and its district offices currently operate 30 rest stops for mobile workers, including delivery riders, designated drivers and quick-service couriers. The network includes hub-style facilities with heating and cooling, rest areas inside subway stations such as Jonggak and Sadang, and smaller rest stops in the Guro and Gasan areas — each tailored to the work patterns and locations of its users.

On top of the existing facilities, the city plans to add compact rest stops and a mobile outreach rest stop service, expanding the overall network so workers can find a nearby place to rest whenever they need one.

"We will maintain the full function of our fixed rest stops while also improving accessibility through a range of options — convenience stores, compact rest stops and outreach services," said Park Gyeong-hwan, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Livelihood and Labor Bureau.