Coupang Fulfillment Service (CFS) announced on September 20 that it will provide an additional 4.5 billion won (approximately $4.5 million) in support for residents and the community affected by the fire at its Incheon logistics center in July.
CFS will distribute 50,000 won (about $50) in living support funds and 100,000 won (about $100) in recovery support funds per household to residents in Seongnam 1-dong and parts of Sinhyun-dong. Residents in Seongnam 1-dong, who experienced greater impacts due to their proximity to the logistics center and the need to stay in evacuation shelters, will receive 100,000 won in living support and 200,000 won in recovery support per household.
The total number of individuals eligible for living support is approximately 28,000, while around 15,000 households are estimated to qualify for recovery support funds.
The recovery support funds are intended to assist residents with damages incurred, such as cleaning costs, following the fire. CFS is coordinating with the Seongnam District Office on the application and payment procedures, and will inform eligible residents sequentially once the arrangements are finalized.
In addition to the lump-sum support, individual damage assistance will continue. If individual damages caused by the fire are confirmed through the damage support process, additional support will be provided. A dedicated call center for damage reporting will operate until the end of November.
CFS will also provide funding to local schools. A total of 150 million won (about $150,000) will be allocated to four schools near the logistics center: Sinseok Elementary, Sinhyun Elementary, Sinhyun North Elementary, and Sinhyun Middle School. Sinseok Elementary was closed during the fire, while Sinhyun Elementary, Sinhyun North Elementary, and Sinhyun Middle School served as temporary evacuation shelters for residents.
Support will also be extended to welfare facilities and firefighting personnel. CFS plans to provide supplies to facilities for the elderly and disabled in Seongnam-dong and Gajeong-dong, as well as community centers, and will promote social contribution activities in collaboration with professional welfare organizations.
Scholarships will be awarded to children of firefighters who participated in extinguishing the fire, and support for local volunteer firefighting teams and equipment will also be considered.
CFS aims to expand local job opportunities. In collaboration with the Seongnam District Office, the company plans to prioritize hiring local residents for positions at its logistics centers, particularly in roles related to automation and technology.
Since the fire, CFS has provided free health check-ups for residents, covered hospital and medication costs, and offered cleaning and car wash expenses, as well as relief supplies such as mattresses and blankets to evacuation shelters. Masks have also been distributed to students and staff at nearby schools. The 4.5 billion won support is in addition to these existing measures.
The fire broke out at 6:54 a.m. on July 18 at Coupang's 32nd logistics center in Seongnam-dong, Incheon, and was fully extinguished after approximately 109 hours on July 22.
CFS CEO Jeong Jong-cheol stated, "We have developed our support plan by comprehensively considering the difficulties caused by the fire and incorporating the opinions of damage assessment experts. I sincerely apologize once again to the local residents who have suffered and will do our utmost to help the community recover quickly and regain stability."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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