“Coupang is the best company for women to work”: A Coupang Friend shares her experience

Growing up, Hee Kim always had a passion for cars, shared with her dad and brother. Her first job, however, had nothing to do with driving. Hee worked at a popular fast-food chain, starting part-time and working her way up to manager in just three years. She put her heart into her work, but the constantly shifting work schedules and night shifts began to take a toll on her body.

One day, she passed by a Coupang Car on the street, and something clicked—what if she could combine her passion with her work? Without a moment’s hesitation, she submitted an application. Shortly thereafter, she found herself a proud member of Namyangju Camp 1’s Coupang Friend corp.

Hee quickly fell in love with her job as a delivery driver. She enjoyed working with her coworkers, and liked that she wasn’t treated any differently because of her gender. She also appreciated the work-life balance, five-day workweeks, and generous annual leave policies. But most of all, she loved driving, and the sense of accomplishment after finishing each delivery. An unexpected bonus—Hee met the love of her life, a fellow Coupang Friend at the Namyangju Camp, and got married.

When Hee eventually became pregnant, she worried about what would happen to her dream job. She wanted to keep working, but it is an unfortunate reality in Korea that pregnant women often feel pressured to quit. When she told her manager, however, he gave her a hearty congratulations instead. He let her know about her options, including paid maternity leave and the job conversion program. She also learned about the maternity protection system at Coupang, which provided additional breaks and leave, protections against overtime, and other benefits for expecting mothers.

“I wanted to work even during pregnancy, so I chose to switch jobs, and I’ve been working at the office since then. The company helped me so much while I worked,” said Hee. “And during the entire time I was pregnant, they took thorough care of me to ensure I didn’t miss out on any opportunity. I was so grateful I nicknamed my unborn baby Pang-Cou.”

After giving birth to her daughter and taking four months of maternity leave, Hee returned to the Namyangju Camp to work. However, she soon got news of another welcome surprise—she was pregnant with her second child.

“Coupang is so dear to me because it made our family and happy lives possible,” said Hee. “I feel that Coupang is the best company for women to work, and I’m so fulfilled and grateful to work at a place that didn’t cut me off because of my pregnancy and instead took such great care of me. That’s why we could also plan for our second baby so quickly.”

She added, “Once our second is born and the circumstances allow, I want to work as a Coupang Friend again. My goal since I joined has been to become a camp leader—I want to be a leader who shares her knowledge and experience with other female Coupang Friends.”