Gov't to deploy 5,500 extra workers for chuseok delivery rush starting Monday

The government has designated the period from Monday to Oct. 2 as a special management period for chuseok deliveries, deploying additional workers and strengthening safety measures ahead of an expected surge in parcel volumes during the holiday season.

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Thursday it would operate a four-week "chuseok holiday delivery special management period" to prevent overwork among delivery workers and ensure smooth service.

Major delivery companies will deploy about 5,500 additional workers during the period, including 1,600 long-haul vehicle drivers, 1,200 delivery couriers and 2,700 loading, unloading and sorting staff.

To protect worker safety, parcel collection restrictions will begin before the chuseok holiday break, which fell Tuesday and Wednesday. Health managers at each branch will check workers daily for signs of fatigue or illness, with immediate rest required if any problems are found.

The ministry also asked major online shopping platforms and large shippers to cooperate with parcel volume distribution and collection restrictions. Local governments and public institutions were urged to use advance ordering to avoid a last-minute concentration of holiday goods purchases.

"We will manage the special delivery period thoroughly to prevent worker overwork while ensuring smooth deliveries," said Shim Ji-young, the ministry's logistics policy director. "We ask for your understanding even if some items experience delivery delays."