SEOUL, August 15, 2025 — The usual hum of scooters weaving through traffic was missing today. No hurried footsteps in apartment hallways. No sharp knock followed by a package on the mat. South Korea’s biggest delivery companies — CJ Logistics, Hanjin Express, Lotte, Logen Express — have stopped for a couple of days.
It’s Liberation Day. For most people, it means flags in the wind, speeches in the squares, and an extra day off work. For delivery crews, it’s a rare pause in a job that almost never slows. Inside the sorting centers, the belts are quiet. Cardboard boxes sit in stacks, labels already printed, waiting for the restart.
Drivers say the same thing: “We needed this.” Two days to catch up on sleep, share a meal at home, or just let the phone stop buzzing. Unions have been pushing for this kind of rest for years, arguing that constant pressure leads to mistakes and exhaustion. This week, they got it — at least briefly.
Shops and online sellers have adapted. Some moved their big sales earlier in the week, others warned customers their orders will take longer. Even goods headed overseas are sitting still for now, stuck mid-route until the wheels start turning again.
Come Monday, the streets will go back to normal. Engines will rev, parcels will change hands, and the rhythm of South Korea’s last-mile network will pick up where it left off. But for now, the country’s logistics machine is standing still — and everyone in it is catching their breath.
