Mass Wage Arrears for Filipino Workers at Gangwon Farms... Ministry of Employment and Labor Launches Task Force Investigation

91 Workers Reported as Victims
"Strict Action Will Be Taken Against Those Responsible"

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has formed a dedicated task force to investigate the recent case of mass wage arrears involving Filipino seasonal workers in Gangwon Province.

On August 1, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon instructed the Gangwon Branch of the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office, which has jurisdiction over the area, to immediately form a dedicated team and begin an investigation into the mass wage arrears case.

According to the Ministry, a total of 91 workers have reported being affected by the incident. The task force plans to focus its investigation on the circumstances of the incident and the unpaid wages and benefits involved.

Drought Relief in High-Altitude Fields... Busy Hands

(Gangneung=Yonhap News) Reporter Yoo Hangjae = On the 16th, after the rain that relieved the drought stopped, foreign workers are busy with additional planting and thinning work in the high-altitude vegetable fields in Daegiri, Wangsan-myeon, Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. 2025.7.16

yoo21@yna.co.kr (End)

In particular, the Ministry believes that a broker agency intervened between the farms and the foreign workers in this case and illegally collected commissions. Accordingly, the Ministry plans to investigate whether the broker violated the "prohibition of intermediary exploitation" clause under the Labor Standards Act.

Minister Kim emphasized, "Foreign workers in rural areas are not simply auxiliary labor to address workforce shortages, but our neighbors who work alongside us," and added, "We will thoroughly investigate this shameful incident, which does not befit the dignity of our nation, and take strict action against those responsible to prevent any recurrence."

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