'Foreign Worker Harassment' Inspection Reveals Labor Standards Act Violations and Unpaid Wages

Three-Year Employment Permit Restriction Imposed on Workplace Where Incident Occurred
"Foreign Worker Human Rights Reporting and Counseling Day to Be Operated"

Recently, an incident involving the harassment of a foreign worker occurred at a brick manufacturing workplace in Naju, South Jeolla Province. According to the results of a labor inspection by the employment authorities, the perpetrator violated the Labor Standards Act through acts of assault and workplace harassment. The workplace was also found to have committed several other legal violations, including wage arrears, and was ordered to take corrective action.

On August 10, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the results of its labor inspection of the brick manufacturing workplace in Naju, South Jeolla Province, where the foreign worker harassment incident took place. Previously, on July 24, the ministry became aware that a domestic manager had tied up a foreign worker together with bricks and transported them using a forklift. In response, 12 labor inspectors from the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office were dispatched to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the workplace.

The inspection found that the act of restraining the foreign worker and using physical force constituted both "assault" and "workplace harassment" as prohibited by the Labor Standards Act. In addition, it was discovered that a total of 21 current and former employees, including 8 foreign workers, had not received their statutory allowances, resulting in a total of 29 million won in unpaid wages. The inspection also uncovered 12 additional violations of the law, including excessive working hours and failure to specify working conditions.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has charged the perpetrator in this case with violating the Labor Standards Act and imposed an administrative fine for the act of workplace harassment. Other violations of labor-related laws have been subject to corrective orders to ensure that the rights of other workers at the workplace are also protected. If these violations are not corrected within the specified period, judicial proceedings will be initiated. In accordance with the Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers, the workplace where the incident occurred will also be restricted from receiving employment permits for up to three years.

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon stated, "It is common sense for the new government that there should be no difference in the protection of labor rights based on language or skin color." He added, "Going forward, we will regularly operate a 'Foreign Worker Human Rights Reporting and Counseling Day' with the participation of labor inspectors, and we will keep our eyes and ears open to the difficulties faced by foreign workers."