The Market Is Growing, but Riders' Wallets Are Thinning
Looking only at the external indicators of the delivery market, there seems to be no reason for riders' incomes to decrease. According to online shopping trends published by the National Statistics Agency (formerly Statistics Korea) in March 2026, the transaction value of food services (delivery food) in January 2026 increased by 10.9% compared to the same month last year, accounting for 15.8% of the total online shopping transaction value of 24.1004 trillion won and recording the highest proportion among product categories.
Based on the annual figures for 2025, domestic online food delivery transaction value reportedly reached an all-time high of approximately 40 trillion won. According to WiseApp Retail surveys, the estimated delivery app payment amount in March 2025 was 2.28 trillion won, approaching the level of March 2022 (2.3151 trillion won), which was the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and delivery app users reached 27.01 million, exceeding half of South Korean smartphone users.
Yet, the actual perceived incomes of the riders performing the deliveries are moving in the opposite direction. In April 2026, the Rider Union and the Cargo Transport Workers Union marched from Suwon Station toward the Blue House, demanding the introduction of a "minimum wage per delivery." They argued that riders trapped in a per-delivery wage structure have no choice but to drive recklessly at the expense of safety in order to maintain their incomes. Where does this paradox—where the market size and rider incomes move in separate directions—stem from? This article examines the structural causes based on published statistics and industry data.
The Rider Income Debate in Numbers: 3.93 Million Won vs. Halved Perceptions
Figures surrounding rider incomes vary sharply depending on the publishing entity. Woowa Youngsters, which handles logistics services for Baedal Minjok, previously announced that the average monthly income of riders operating 40 hours or more per week on Baemin Connect was 3.93 million won, an increase of 400,000 won compared to the same period last year. However, immediately after this announcement, backlash erupted in delivery rider communities, with claims that "incomes have actually decreased." One rider vented, "To make over 4 million won a month, working morning and afternoon peaks is a given, and you have to grind hard into the night."