"Kang Hyung-wook, 'Does Not See Employees as Humans'... Lawyer Refutes 9,670 Won Explanation"

Lawyer Park Hoon, "Payment Made Long After Labor Department Report"

The controversy is intensifying over allegations that the couple leading Bodeum Company, CEO Kang Hyung-wook and his wife, paid a former employee less than 10,000 won. Earlier, CEO Kang explained through a YouTube broadcast that the amount was a measure to contact the employee. However, lawyer Park Hoon, who volunteered to provide free legal representation for Bodeum Company employees, rebutted this as an "excuse broadcast."

On the 27th, lawyer Park detailed the background of the controversy in a post on his Facebook. Former employee A, who left Bodeum Company, had previously revealed that he received a payment of 9,670 won upon resignation.

Kang Hyung-wook (right), CEO of Bodeum Company, and his wife Susan Yehee Elder (left), director.
[Photo by Kang Hyung-wook YouTube screen capture]

Lawyer Park later spoke with A and confirmed that he had been employed as a regular staff member receiving a salary consisting of a base pay plus incentives. He added, "CEO Kang said he had something to say about A’s salary before resignation but then said nothing further, and after 10 days post-resignation, sent 9,670 won." As evidence, he posted a photo showing 9,670 won deposited into a bank account on October 10, 2016, labeled as "salary."

At that time, A could not accept CEO Kang’s actions because he was owed base pay, severance pay, annual leave allowance, and unsettled incentives. Subsequently, A filed a complaint with the labor inspector regarding unpaid wages.

However, it was reported that CEO Kang did not attend the mediation session called by the labor inspector. Instead, about two months after the scheduled attendance date of November 17, 2016, on January 14 of the following year, severance pay, base pay, unsettled incentives, and annual leave allowance were deposited to A.

Attorney Park Hoon posted on Facebook the attendance request document from a labor inspector in 2016 [Image source=Facebook capture]

Regarding this, lawyer Park stated, "Reporting the amounts to be paid according to the employment contract and Labor Standards Act to the Ministry of Labor and struggling for a long time before payment is made" shows "a failure to regard workers as human beings with dignity." He further criticized, "Despite knowing their mistakes during the process, the excuse-filled explanation broadcast that does not appear to be a sincere apology is absurd."

Earlier, on the 24th, CEO Kang and his wife addressed various controversies surrounding Bodeum Company on their YouTube channel 'Kang Hyung-wook’s Bodeum TV.' Regarding the controversy over only depositing 9,670 won to A, Susan Elder, director and CEO Kang’s wife, explained, "He was someone who had a contract to receive a small base salary and mostly incentives," and "After he stopped working, many refunds occurred."

Director Elder added, "Since incentives should be paid based on sales up to the days he worked, we had a dilemma to wait until the end of September and then calculate after deducting refund amounts, so we wanted to negotiate with him." However, after losing contact with A, she said, "We decided to take some action."