The number of cargo flights has surged, and e-commerce companies have laid off employees. Temu is so fierce!

The strong rise of Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Temu and AliExpress has not only brought new vitality to the global e-commerce market , but also promoted the rapid development of the international freight industry .

South Korean media reported that from January to May this year , due to a sharp increase in the number of packages from Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Temu , South Korean airlines' international cargo volume soared, setting a record high since aviation statistics were collected in 2009.

Data shows that as many as 11 Korean airlines , including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Busan Air, Eastar Jet, T'way Air and Incheon Air , transported a total of 1,154,524 tons of cargo on international routes in the first five months of this year , an increase of 17.2% compared with the same period last year .

In terms of breakdown, Korean Air transported 660,000 tons of cargo, accounting for 57.2% of the total international cargo volume during the period . Asiana Airlines followed closely with 308,000 tons of cargo, accounting for 31.3% . Low-cost airlines such as Jeju Air transported about 51,000 tons of cargo, accounting for 11.5%.

Professional analysts said that the country's increase in air cargo volume was mainly due to the growth of Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Temu .

In addition, the Red Sea shipping crisis in recent months has caused problems such as rising shipping costs , longer transportation times , and container shortages , resulting in global freight frequently turning to air transport.

Aviation practitioners also pointed out that the trend of global cargo volume growth is expected to continue until the second half of this year due to the rising consumer demand for goods on Chinese platforms such as Temu.

In fact, the rise of platforms such as Temu has not only affected the international freight industry, but also brought tremendous pressure to Korean local e-commerce companies.

Industry insiders said that after Temu and AliExpress joined the Korean market, competition among the country's e-commerce platforms intensified, and many e-commerce companies had to take cost-cutting measures due to long-term poor revenue.

It is reported that Lotte On, the e-commerce subsidiary of Lotte Shopping, announced a voluntary retirement plan for employees, aiming to enhance the company's competitiveness by streamlining the team and reducing costs.

11, one of the first generation of e-commerce platforms in Korea   Street plans to move its headquarters from Seoul to another location in September this year to save tens of billions of won in rental costs.

There are also several e-commerce companies under the New World Group, including SSG.com and Gmarket, which are stepping up their cost-cutting efforts.

Industry insiders said that South Korean e-commerce giants are accelerating their cost-cutting efforts in order to reduce losses and meet the challenges of Chinese e-commerce platforms, and predicted that various forms of cost-cutting measures will continue until the end of this year.

In general, platforms such as Temu are becoming more and more influential in South Korea, helping the development of the air cargo industry while also posing a certain threat to local e-commerce companies. Obviously, the entry of Temu is both an opportunity and a challenge for the country.