"King Crab Sawara"... Jangsu Nonghyup Executive Faces Court

Perpetrator Accused of Causing Employee's Death Through Workplace Harassment
Unfair Work Orders and Abuse of Power Under Scrutiny

An executive at Jangsu Nonghyup in Jeonbuk, who was accused of workplace harassment, has been brought to court in connection with the death of an employee who had been married for only three months. It was revealed that the accused repeatedly harassed the employee by demanding things like "Go to Noryangjin in Seoul and buy king crab" or making disparaging remarks.

On the 17th, Yonhap News reported that the Namwon branch of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office indicted four people, including executive A of Jangsu Nonghyup, on charges of violating the Labor Standards Act and intimidation. The prosecution also brought two corporations, including a labor law firm involved in the case, to trial. A and others are accused of abusing their power and harassing employee B (then 33 years old) who worked at Jangsu Nonghyup in Jeonbuk by issuing unfair work orders.

B was found dead in a car in January 2023, leaving a note stating that they had been harassed, only three months after getting married. The bereaved family subsequently requested an investigation from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the police to uncover the truth.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor launched a special labor inspection targeting Jangsu Nonghyup and confirmed circumstances in which several superiors, including A, had engaged in workplace harassment against B. Specifically, they made unreasonable demands such as referencing B’s affluent family background and saying, "Go to Noryangjin in Seoul and buy king crab," or used high-handed language like "Get out of the work" and "You will be disciplined because you can’t do the job." It was also revealed that unfair work orders and abuse of power were rampant at the cooperative until B’s death brought the workplace harassment to light.

The police, based on B’s hospital records, social network service (SNS) conversations, and witness statements, concluded that A and others had abused their power over B and referred the case to the prosecution.

After receiving the investigation results from the police and Ministry of Employment and Labor, the prosecution reviewed the legal aspects and indicted those found to have violated the law. A prosecution official stated, "The accused committed harassment and intimidation against the victim due to dissatisfaction with their work performance," adding, "We will do our best to maintain the prosecution so that the defendants receive punishment commensurate with their crimes."

Meanwhile, according to 'Workplace Gapjil 119' on the 9th, one in three office workers has experienced workplace harassment. A survey conducted in December last year targeting 1,000 workers nationwide aged 19 and older found that 35.9% of respondents said they had experienced workplace harassment in the past year. Among the types, insults and defamation were the most common at 23.5%, followed by unfair orders (19.6%) and physical and verbal abuse (19.1%). In terms of responses, 51.3% said they endured or pretended not to know, while 23.7% quit their jobs.