Coupang is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and provides equal employment opportunities to all regardless of someone’s age, gender, race, nationality, disability, or other social or personal characteristic. This includes the 454 employees with disabilities at Coupang, who continually wow customers and employees alike in all kinds of positions.
Since 2019, we have also been hiring athletes with disabilities as employees in our Coupang Paralympic Team, providing monthly salaries, insurance, and other benefits while supporting their efforts to compete in various competitions and events. In this article, we will meet Dong-seon Kim, who won the gold medal in the club throwing event at the 41st National Para Games.
Dong-seon Kim’s day starts promptly at 5:30 each morning. He gets up, washes, gets dressed, then heads to training at the Wonju Dream Gym by 6 AM. Dong-seon, who has cerebral palsy, also receives help from two assistants who support him in shifts. While other Coupang athletes in Wonju train for four hours a day, four days each week, Dong-seon spends six days every Tuesday through Sunday at the Wonju Dream Gym. On Mondays, when the gym is closed, he heads over to the Wonju Sports Complex to continue training.
“Club throwing is an exercise using arm strength and wrist swings and snaps, so I repeat this every single day,” said Dong-seon. “I can develop a sense of balance and strengthen my arm muscles, and after practicing and working up a sweat, my head is clear and both mind and body feel healthy.”
Dong-seon’s rigorous training has yielded impressive results. In the 41st National Para Games last October, Dong-seon set a new record in Korea and won gold for club throw, recording 13.23 meters. This was a full 20 centimeters ahead of the silver medalist. His feat is all the more impressive considering the fact that he only threw his first club in 2019, just two years before. Dong-seon went on to take gold in the 15th National Paralympic Athletics Championships the following month, making yet another splash in the Korean paralympic scene.
Dong-seon’s work ethic and determination have been beneficial for more than just his athletics career. “People with cerebral palsy are often dependent on medication because their bodily functions weaken from lack of activity,” said one of Dong-seon’s assistants. “Dong-seon, however, is not on a prescription. By exercising every day, his health improves, and his personality has grown more positive as well after joining Coupang and gaining a sense of belonging.”
Dong-seon is so grateful that he has been able to pursue his dreams through Coupang. Before he joined the company, Dong-seon worked at a funeral supply store, earning a modest living before the company shut down. Now, Dong-seon, who has achieved his goals of winning gold in national competitions, has set his sights on the international stage.
“I used to be a customer who bought shoes and apparel from Coupang, and it’s still amazing and wonderful to me that I am now a Coupang athlete,” Dong-seon said. “Please support me as I continue to train and practice to take on the challenge of representing the Korean national team!”
