Coupang is building an emergency relief system using its nationwide Rocket Delivery logistics network and will provide support for disaster victims. Coupang said on May 14 it is launching the “Emergency Relief Coupang Hope Box” programme, which will immediately deliver relief supplies to affected residents when disasters occur. The system will stockpile relief items on a постоян basis at the Sejong fulfilment centre and ship them to disaster sites nationwide as soon as a disaster occurs. After delivery, Peace Winds Korea, a disaster-relief specialist group, will take custody of the items onsite and deliver them to evacuees at temporary shelters.

The Sejong fulfilment centre will keep a постоян stockpile of 2,500 sets of relief supplies. Sejong is a location that can link deliveries to major regions nationwide, including Yeongnam and Honam. The relief supplies consist of 10 items, including a living box, quilted blanket, pillow, towel, socks, compressed wet tissues, toothpaste and toothbrush, soap and foam-net toiletry pouch, and a foldable three-panel mattress. The package focuses on items needed for early shelter life, such as hygiene, warmth and sleep. It also includes three-panel mattresses and bedding, which had been difficult to provide due to bulk.

The stockpile size of 2,500 sets was set after considering domestic disaster patterns, the annual number of evacuees and demand for shelter living. If disasters become prolonged or damage grows, the company plans to produce and distribute additional relief items depending on conditions onsite. Acting CEO Harold Rogers (해롤드 로저스) visited the Sejong fulfilment centre on May 13, opened relief boxes and checked the condition of the contents as well as loading and dispatch routes. He also looked around a tent set up to simulate an evacuee shelter space and checked additional support needs onsite.

Rogers also held a meeting that day with volunteers who have worked at disaster sites and listened to field experience and areas for improvement. “We want to fulfil our social responsibility by applying the Rocket Delivery system, built for customer service, to emergency relief for disasters,” he said. “We will work to resolve the difficulties faced at disaster sites and provide practical help to evacuees,” he added.

Peace Winds Korea standing representative Seok-yoon Jung (정석윤) said, “At disaster sites, the speed of the initial response is most important, and if Coupang’s nationwide logistics network and delivery capabilities are combined, we expect faster and more stable emergency relief will be possible.” Volunteer So-jeong Park (박소정), who attended the event, said, “It is meaningful to be able to support mattresses and quilted blankets that are lacking at disaster sites, as well as daily necessities.”

Earlier, Coupang provided daily necessities, hygiene products and bottled water to sites affected by last year’s North Gyeongsang wildfires, heavy rain in Gwangju and Hamyang in South Gyeongsang, and drought damage in Gangneung. An official from Coupang’s corporate social contribution office said, “We will continue to advance our logistics and relief support system so we can quickly support regions where disasters occur by using the nationwide Rocket Delivery logistics network.”