The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on April 27 that, starting from April 28, it will conduct intensive, proactive inspections and supervision for five weeks, focusing on businesses vulnerable to labor law violations such as wage arrears and workplace harassment.
The ministry has selected 150 workplaces expected to have weak foreign worker management as inspection targets. These were chosen from among workplaces employing foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (E-9), based on criteria such as frequent changes of foreign employees, a high number of reported labor law violations, and numerous local complaints.
At these workplaces, the ministry will inspect for violations of labor-related laws and the Foreign Workers Employment Act, focusing on areas where foreign workers are particularly vulnerable, such as wage arrears, workplace harassment, and sexual violence or harassment. If a business is found to be in violation of the law, the ministry plans to impose sanctions, including the cancellation or restriction of permits to employ foreign workers. In addition, separate surveys and interviews with foreign workers will be conducted using questionnaires translated into 17 languages, and the ministry will check for labor law violations as well as illegal or unfair treatment.
Kim Minseok, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, "Foreign workers are already a core human resource for our small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as in rural and fishing communities. However, it is true that foreign workers still occupy a vulnerable position in the workplace." He added, "We will proactively identify and intensively supervise businesses vulnerable to labor law violations by utilizing various administrative data related to foreign worker employment, and we will also work to improve the awareness and practices of business owners on the ground."
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