"Foreign Worker Who Skipped Work Without Notice Demands Unpaid Wages," Convenience Store Owner Complains

Store Owner Shares Conflict Story with Vietnamese Foreign Worker
Understands Repeated Lies... Then Worker Disappeared Without Notice
Hired Labor Attorney, Demands Unpaid Wages with Brazen Attitude

A convenience store owner’s story about repeated lies by a Vietnamese foreign worker, causing conflict, has come to light and sparked controversy. The owner even claims that the foreign worker is using previously agreed-upon terms to threaten them, which has led to an outcry among netizens.

On the 12th, a post titled "Threats from a Vietnamese Worker" was uploaded to an online community. The author, identified as convenience store owner A, said, "A Vietnamese female worker in her early 20s, Ms. B, worked for about four months. I treated her very well, and even though I knew her stories about her sibling being sick or lacking tuition fees were lies, I felt sorry for her and gave her advances and Chuseok gifts." He explained, "Even when she was late, I understood because the previous shift worker was family, and when customers complained about her rudeness, I asked for understanding, saying that a young foreigner was having a hard time."

A said, "She often said she was sick and didn’t show up, which caused difficulties, but since she was attending school and working night shifts, I wanted to support her and work together. However, she suddenly disappeared without notice." He continued, "About three weeks later, she showed up out of the blue and demanded money. I had already paid all her wages and gave her weekly holiday pay in cash, which she signed a receipt for. We also signed a labor contract, and I paid her an hourly wage of 11,000 won."

He added, "The problem is that Ms. B’s visa is a student visa, so she wasn’t allowed to work at the convenience store, but she asked to be hired anyway, so I registered her social insurance and taxes under someone else’s name." He lamented, "Now she is threatening me, claiming she never received weekly holiday pay and never signed a labor contract, making up all sorts of things. I think she hired a labor attorney because she believes I won’t report her illegal work since it would implicate her as well."

A said, "The labor attorney called me and asked for documents. I thought if I sent them, it might quietly resolve the issue, so I agreed to send them. But then I realized the attorney is probably representing her side, and it wouldn’t be right to give them my information. I think it’s better to go to the labor office without sending the documents." He added, "I’m also puzzled how someone who was making a fuss about having no money could afford a labor attorney. It’s really ungrateful, and she’s insisting she didn’t receive what she actually did," expressing his frustration.

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "You paid her too much hourly wage. If it’s illegal labor, you should report it quickly," "Report her thinking about the fines she might get. If it were me, I’d report her for being ungrateful," and "It’s surprising that a Vietnamese student who said she had no money hired a labor attorney."