The Ministry of Justice said Monday it will launch a two-month crackdown on foreign nationals working illegally as food delivery drivers, citing a rise in unauthorized employment.
The ministry designated March and April as intensive enforcement months, saying some international students have recently begun working as delivery drivers using borrowed or falsified Korean identities, raising concerns that local job opportunities are being affected.
Major delivery platforms such as Baedal Minjok, Baemin and Coupang Eats often outsource rider recruitment to private delivery agencies. Some of these agencies are suspected of recruiting foreigners almost exclusively and charging them higher commissions, according to the ministry.
Foreign delivery workers are also often not covered by insurance, and their willingness to accept higher commission fees and lower pay can push down average earnings in the sector, industry officials say.
The crackdown will run for 53 days from March 9 through April 30, the ministry said. Foreign nationals found working illegally may face fines or deportation.
Korean nationals who lend their delivery platform accounts to foreign riders may also face criminal charges, the ministry added.
According to ministry data, 399 foreign nationals were caught working illegally from January to October 2025, up from 117 in the whole of 2023.
Foreign nationals wishing to work as delivery drivers must hold long-term residency (F-2), permanent residency (F-5), or marriage migrant (F-6) visas.
“Through the crackdown on foreign nationals illegally working in the delivery rider sector, we will work to protect jobs for the public and restore order in the residency of foreign nationals,” Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
