Prologue: Logistics isn't the backdrop to our lives; it's the center.
Why is logistics important?
Invisible Logistics: Its Impact on Our Lives
The flow of logistics we experience throughout the day

Part 1: The Invisible Force: A World Driven by Logistics

Chapter 1.
One Click, Right to Your Doorstep - The E-Commerce and Logistics Revolution
1 Logistics system for online shopping
2. Last-mile delivery and ultra-fast delivery competition
3 Logistics Platforms and Fulfillment Centers
[Column 1] Platform Strategy: A Game Changer for the Logistics Industry

Chapter 2.
Arrives tomorrow - The secret to fast delivery
4 Reasons why 24-hour delivery is possible
5 Urban Logistics and Urban Logistics Centers
6 Real-time delivery innovations created by technology and data
[Column 2] AI-Powered Fast and Sustainable Logistics

Chapter 3.
The Invisible Hand: Global Logistics
7 Where do the clothes we wear and the smartphones we use come from?
8 Warehouses on the Sea, Global Supply Chains, and Container Logistics
9. The world brought to a standstill by the pandemic: COVID-19 and logistics chaos.
[Column 3] Trump's Second Term and the Global Supply Chain: The Beginning of Chaos or a Predictable Restructuring?

Part 2: Technology Transforming Logistics, Smarter and Faster

Chapter 4.
A logistics warehouse where robots and artificial intelligence work
10 Logistics Automation and Smart Logistics Centers
11 Robotic Logistics: Jobs Humans Don't Have to Do
12 AI-based inventory management and demand forecasting: Just what you need, on time
[Column 4] Building an AI-Based Logistics System: Directions and Challenges of Innovation

Chapter 5.
Flying Couriers - Drones and Autonomous Delivery
13 How far has drone delivery come?
14 Self-Driving Trucks and Robot Delivery
15 How will the future of logistics change?
[Column 5] Five Messages from the Evolution of Smart Factories to Logistics

Chapter 6.
Where is my item? Real-time logistics tracking.
16 How does the parcel tracking system work?
17 Logistics Fields Transformed by IoT and RFID Technologies
18 Blockchain Logistics: A Transparent Supply Chain Without Forgery
[Column 6] How AI Will Transform the Logistics Industry

Part 3: Sustainable Logistics: Thinking About the Environment

Chapter 7.
Eco-friendly logistics, reducing carbon footprints
19 Eco-friendly delivery (electric trucks, hydrogen cars)
20 Sustainable Supply Chains and Carbon-Neutral Logistics
21 Recycling Logistics and the Circular Economy
[Column 7] AI, ESG, and Logistics: The Intersection of Sustainability and Technology

Chapter 8.
Fresh and Safe - Cold Chain Logistics
22 Reasons why refrigerated and frozen foods arrive fresh
23 The Importance of Vaccine Logistics and Cold Chain
24 Cold Chain and Future Technologies
[Column 8] AI Agents: New Customers and Partners in the Logistics Industry

Chapter 9.
Logistics that Reduce Waste - Eco-Packaging and Reverse Logistics
25 Do I really need a shipping box?
26 Logistics Returns: The Story of Returns and Recycling
27 Eco-friendly packaging and sustainable distribution
[Column 9] AI-Based Reverse Logistics: The Path to Sustainable Logistics

Part 4: The Changing Logistics of Everyday Life

Chapter 10.
K-Logistics: Why Korea Became a Logistics Powerhouse
28 Why Korean Logistics is Fast
29 Global Expansion of K-Logistics
30 Challenges for South Korea to become a logistics powerhouse
[Column 10] Smart Logistics: Combining Innovation and Sustainability

Chapter 11.
New business models created by logistics
31 Sharing Economy and Logistics
32 Subscription Delivery Service
Logistics involving 33 individuals
[Column 11] Building a Flexible Logistics Network through Shared Logistics and Co-Operation

Chapter 12.
The future logistics we will create
34 Smart Logistics: Is Full Automation of Logistics Possible?
35 Eco-friendly logistics and sustainable consumption
36 Future Logistics Technologies and Industrial Changes
[Column 12] The Logistics Industry's AI Transformation: Five Axis Create a New Operational Order

Epilogue: Understanding Logistics is the Key to Preparing for the Future
37 How much do we know about the logistics we use every day?
38 New opportunities brought about by changes in logistics
39 What We Can Do for Sustainable Logistics

Part 1.
Logistics that accompanies our daily lives

The first part of the book follows the logistics of everyday life that we encounter every day but easily overlook.
Take online shopping, for example. From the moment a consumer clicks to pay, a massive logistics process is already in motion.


Products pass through logistics centers across the country, move to urban logistics hubs, and then go through numerous sorting and collection processes to arrive at each home.
Coupang's Rocket Delivery and Market Kurly's Dawn Delivery aren't simply "fast services," but the result of thousands of human resources, precise systems, and predictive technology.

Overseas direct purchases also demonstrate the complexity of cross-border logistics.
Products originating from around the world, including the United States, Japan, and Europe, cross the ocean, pass through ports and airports, pass through domestic customs, and then travel through inland transportation networks to reach consumers.
When a consumer says, "It arrived in two days," an invisible global logistics network encompassing international transportation, customs clearance, and delivery is in motion behind the scenes.

Part 1 specifically shows how logistics operates intricately behind the conveniences of our daily lives, and why it is called the "invisible hand."

Part 2.
Technology is changing logistics, making it smarter and faster.

The second part covers the digital transformation of the logistics industry.
Logistics centers are no longer simply a place where people move goods, but are rapidly transforming into a smart environment driven by robots and automated equipment.


In Amazon's warehouses, tens of thousands of robots move across the floors and transport shelves, and DHL is using AI-based inventory forecasting systems to improve accuracy.
In Korea, CJ Logistics and Coupang are also introducing automatic sorting systems, leaving tasks that people don't have to do to machines.

Along with this, drone delivery and self-driving trucks are also becoming a reality.
In the United States, Amazon and UPS are conducting pilot drone deliveries, and Japan and South Korea are also conducting experiments, mainly in remote island and mountainous regions.
TuSimple in the US, Cainiao in China, and Hyundai Motor in Korea are continuing their research on autonomous trucks, preparing for a new paradigm in logistics.

Additionally, technologies such as IoT, RFID, and blockchain are increasing transparency and reliability in logistics.
Consumers can check the location of their items in real time through delivery apps, and companies can see the flow of their supply chain at a glance.
In particular, blockchain technology significantly increases reliability in the logistics of high-value items and pharmaceuticals, as it is impossible to forge or manipulate them.

Part 2 explores how technology is making logistics smarter and more efficient, and how it is transforming our consumer experience.

Part 3.
Sustainable logistics, environmentally conscious

The third part deals with the themes of ‘eco-friendliness’ and ‘sustainability’.
Logistics is an industry that provides convenience but also places a burden on the environment.
Carbon emissions from delivery vehicles, excess packaging, and waste from expedited delivery all impact the environment.
To respond, countries around the world are conducting new experiments.

Europe is actively adopting bicycle and electric vehicle delivery to reduce carbon emissions in urban areas, and some cities in Japan are promoting logistics sharing, allowing multiple companies to share vehicles and warehouses to increase efficiency.
In Korea, CJ Logistics, Coupang, and Lotte Global Logistics are increasing the number of electric delivery vehicles, and the movement to minimize packaging materials for convenience store deliveries is also spreading.

Cold chain logistics is also an important topic.
A refrigerated and frozen distribution network is essential for the stable delivery of fresh food, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the cold chain worldwide.
Beyond simply preserving the freshness of food, its role as a social infrastructure that protects life has been further emphasized.

Additionally, reverse logistics and recycling systems are intertwined with the circular economy.
Rather than disposable delivery boxes, we need a logistics structure that can be recovered, recycled, or minimized.
These changes are also directly linked to companies' ESG management.

Part 3 ultimately contains the message that logistics must move beyond mere 'speed' and 'convenience' to protect the environment and fulfill social responsibility.

Part 4.
Logistics Stories from Korea and the World

The fourth part compares logistics in Korea and overseas, and explores the present and future of K-logistics.
Korea's logistics are attracting global attention for their 'speed' and 'accuracy.'
Thanks to its small land area, high population density, and developed IT infrastructure, Korea has been able to quickly adopt innovative models such as dawn and same-day delivery.

K-Logistics is now expanding on the global stage.
Representative examples include Samsung and LG's global production networks, Amorepacific's K-beauty exports, and Coupang's overseas expansion.
Japan is characterized by precise, time-specified delivery, Europe by eco-friendly logistics focused on the environment, and the United States by large-scale platform logistics centered around Amazon.
By comparing these differences, we also explore which path Korea should take going forward.

It also covers new business models.
Subscription delivery goes beyond simply receiving products; it's changing lifestyle habits. Shared logistics and crowdsourcing are creating a new trend where individuals directly participate in logistics.
Examples include Uber Eats in the US, Rakuten Delivery in Japan, and Carrot Market shared logistics in Korea.

Part 4 ultimately identifies the challenges and opportunities for 'K-logistics' to no longer remain domestic and secure global competitiveness.

Epilogue

The final epilogue reiterates the message that “logistics is no longer a background, it is the center of our lives.”
Understanding the invisible but always-working logistics is to understand the world.

The author suggests that readers view logistics not simply as a business or industrial domain, but as a force that transforms lives and the future.
Furthermore, the small actions we can take—choosing eco-friendly delivery, reducing excess packaging, and participating in a circular economy—can shape the logistics of the future, he says.