[Incheon = E-Daily Reporter PARK KIJOO ] Two months after a fire at its logistics center last July, Coupang announced a large-scale support package for local residents. The program provides up to 200,000 won per household, plus an additional 100,000 won per person, and includes contributions to nearby school development funds, bringing the total support package to 4.5 billion won.

Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS, Coupang) held a press conference on the 20th at its Second Office in Sinhyeon-wonchang-dong, Seohae-gu, Incheon, announcing the implementation of a 4.5 billion won support plan for residents and the local community near the Incheon logistics center who have faced hardships due to the fire. This comes two months after the fire at the Incheon logistics center on July 18.

The support plan includes providing 50,000 won per person in living assistance and 100,000 won per household in disaster recovery aid to residents of Incheon’s Seoknam 1-dong and parts of Sinhyeon-dong, who suffered significant inconvenience due to the fire. In particular, residents of certain areas in Seoknam 1-dong—which were adjacent to the logistics center and suffered relatively greater damage—will receive a living allowance of 100,000 won per person and a disaster recovery grant of 200,000 won per household.

The purpose of this measure is to assist residents with damages caused by the fire, such as cleanup costs. The total number of people eligible for the living support grant is estimated at approximately 28,000, and the number of households eligible for the damage recovery support grant is estimated at approximately 15,000. The total amount of support allocated for this purpose is approximately 3.5 billion won.

As a follow-up to this plan, Coupang has begun consultations with the Seohae District Office to ensure the funds are distributed to local residents as quickly as possible. However, the method of distribution—whether in the form of cash or Onnuri gift certificates—has not yet been determined. While the goal is to complete distributions before Chuseok, there is a possibility of some delay due to current procedures and processes.

Coupang plans to notify residents in the affected areas sequentially as soon as consultations with the Seohae District Office regarding application and disbursement procedures are finalized.

In addition, Coupang will provide a total of 150 million won in school development funds to four schools near the fire site. The funds are intended for schools that were closed during the fire, causing inconvenience to students, or that were used as temporary shelters for local residents.

Coupang has also prepared a 300 million won support package for the firefighters who responded to the blaze. This will include scholarships for the children of firefighters and the provision of equipment needed for emergency responses. Local volunteer fire departments are also eligible for this support.

In addition, Coupang plans to provide approximately 600 million won in support over the next two years to facilities for the elderly living alone and community welfare centers in the areas near the fire site. The company also plans to contribute to job creation by prioritizing the hiring of local residents from Seohae District for positions related to automation equipment and core technical roles at its logistics centers.

Including these measures, the total support package amounts to approximately 4.5 billion won. These measures, which are being implemented separately from existing disaster relief efforts, will be funded by Coupang’s own funds, not insurance payouts.

Previously, as the firefighting efforts dragged on and the impact on local residents grew, Coupang had provided them with health screenings, coverage for medical and prescription costs, and emergency relief supplies.

Support for individual losses suffered by residents near the logistics center will be provided separately from this measure, in accordance with established damage support procedures. Coupang plans to operate a dedicated call center to receive individual damage reports through the end of November.

Jeong Jong-cheol, CEO of CFS, stated, “We have devised this support plan by comprehensively considering the hardships caused by the fire and reflecting the opinions of loss adjusters and other experts.” He added, “We sincerely apologize to the local residents who have suffered, and we will do our utmost to ensure that this support helps the local community recover quickly and regain stability, even if only in a small way.”