"Salt Farm Slave" Perpetrator Thrives as County Council Member... Some Victims Return to Salt Farms

Legal Representatives: "Perpetrators Have Not Been Properly Punished"
U.S. Bans Salt Imports Amid Sinan Salt Farm Slave Labor Controversy
Sinan County Dismisses Issue, Saying "'Salt Farm Slavery' Is a Past Mistake Only"

The fact that the perpetrator of the Sinan Salt Farm Slave Incident is a current Sinan County council member has become known, spreading controversy. On April 15, SBS's "Discovery of Exclusive Reports" revisited the past Sinan County Salt Farm Slave Incident. Kim Jongcheol and Choi Jeonggyu, attorneys representing the victims who appeared on the program, argued that the former perpetrators of the slave labor have not been properly punished. Attorney Kim pointed out, "Although the forced labor incident at the salt farms became known in 2014, another victim appeared in 2021 following the same pattern," adding, "Forced labor did not disappear in 2014, and victims continued to emerge." He cited several reasons for the persistence of forced labor: inadequate punishment for perpetrators, insufficient victim protection systems, and the lack of corporate accountability.

The fact that the perpetrator of the Sinan Salt Farm Slave Incident is a current Sinan County council member has become known, spreading controversy. On the 15th, SBS's "Discovery of Exclusive Reports" revisited the past Sinan County Salt Farm Slave Incident. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Asia Economy DB

Among the 36 salt farm owners indicted on charges of forced labor under the Labor Standards Act in 2014, only one received a prison sentence. Even then, the sentence was only one year and two months. The rest received suspended sentences or were not prosecuted. The individual highlighted by the attorneys is Mr. A, who is currently serving as a Sinan County council member. Mr. A is accused of offering the victim an annual salary of 4 million won, forcing him to work, and assaulting him.

Mr. A was arrested on charges of withholding 60 million won in wages and assaulting the victim, but was released after receiving a one-year prison sentence suspended for three years. Mr. A was elected in the 2018 and 2022 local elections and is currently serving as a Sinan County council member. According to the Jeonnam Provincial Public Officials Ethics Committee, his assets amount to 6,718,540,000 won, the highest among public officials in Jeonnam Province.

Attorney Kim stated, "Most of the victims rescued from the salt farms have not received proper protection," explaining, "Because the victims are unable to become self-reliant, they often end up in even worse environments or return to the salt farms." He further pointed out, "In the structure where large-scale salt farms sign lease contracts with companies, even if salt farm owners exploit labor, the top-level companies are not punished," and added, "There is no system in Korea to hold companies accountable for forced labor occurring within their supply chains." Attorney Choi also commented, "This case is not simply about unpaid wages, but an atrocious human rights violation that has robbed victims of their entire lives," and added, "The fact that the problem has not been resolved more than ten years after the incident is a warning to our society."

Meanwhile, on April 3, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) on Sinan Taepyung Salt Farm's sea salt products, citing the use of forced labor in the production process. In response, on April 7, Sinan County claimed, "This Withhold Release Order is unrelated to forced labor or human rights violations. It concerns a case of wage arrears between an operator who leased part of Taepyung Salt Farm in 2021 and their workers."

Attorneys Kim and Choi, who have fought for salt farm victims for over ten years, lamented that they had to seek help from the United States because nothing could be done domestically without external intervention, and criticized the state and companies for evading responsibility. Attorney Choi commented on Sinan County's rebuttal, stating, "Such complacent attitudes are exactly what perpetuate these problems," and added, "This is not only a violation of the Labor Standards Act, but also involves threats, coercion, violations of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, and violations of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act, making it a comprehensive human rights violation. Yet, Sinan County continues to downplay the issue as merely a wage arrears case, but shouldn't they be suggesting a more proper course of action?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.