Complaint Filed by Disabled Persons' Rights Groups
Misappropriation of Wages Suspected from Six Residents' Accounts
Buk-gu District in Gwangju Requests Investigation into Two Wage Managers
Prosecutors Indict Park for Quasi-Fraud and Embezzlement
A view of the nursing hospital in Samgak-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, suspected of embezzling money by hospitalizing victims of forced labor at Sinan salt farms. Photo by Min Chanki
Administrative authorities and civic groups have filed a police complaint against a nursing hospital accused of admitting victims of labor exploitation at Sinan salt farms and seizing their wages and living allowances.
The Gyeonggi Disabled Persons' Rights Research Institute, Public Interest Law Center Fighting Chance, Law Firm DLG Public Interest and Human Rights Center, Public Interest Law Center Appeal, and Law Firm Wongok held a press conference on December 1 in front of the National Police Agency Headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, urging a thorough investigation into the nursing hospital that allegedly subjected disabled victims of the salt farm slavery case to secondary exploitation. They submitted a formal complaint against the nursing hospital in Samgak-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, and its operator.
Recently, evidence emerged that unauthorized deposits and withdrawals were made from the living allowance accounts of persons deemed legally incompetent who had been admitted to the hospital. Following an investigation by Buk-gu District in Gwangju, it was found that Park, who operates a church, had misappropriated the living allowances of six residents, prompting the authorities to request a police investigation.
It was found that there were three persons deemed legally incompetent at the nursing hospital. Among the six victims, four were confirmed to have been subjected to labor exploitation at Sinan salt farms.
The accounts of the three legally incompetent persons were managed by Lim, an elder of the church, who was designated as the wage manager. However, the actual withdrawals were made by Park, the church pastor, who was a third party.
Investigations revealed that Park withdrew and then redeposited a total of approximately 3 million won from each of the six individuals' accounts two to three times between the second half of 2023 and the present.
The Gyeonggi Disabled Persons' Rights Research Institute, Public Interest Law Center Fighting Chance, Law Firm DLG Public Interest and Human Rights Center, Public Interest Law Center Appeal, and Law Firm Wongok held a press conference on the 1st in front of the National Police Agency Headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Provided by the Disabled Persons' Rights Research Institute
The organizations also called for the police and the state to be held accountable. They pointed out that, although the disabled victims were identified, emergency separation was not carried out at the scene, which left them vulnerable to secondary exploitation at the nursing hospital. Previously, Sinan County had discovered a case of human rights violations against a disabled individual, Jang, during a comprehensive crackdown in 2023, and requested an investigation by the Sinan Police Station. Jang had reportedly been missing since 1988, but was forced to work at the salt farms for 36 years. After the forced labor was uncovered, Jang was transferred to the nursing hospital, where his welfare benefits were allegedly exploited.
The exploitation of Jang's labor was revealed during a comprehensive survey of salt farm working conditions conducted by Sinan County in August 2023. However, because investigative authorities did not immediately separate him from the situation, Jang was forced to continue working at the salt farm for over a year and was then subjected to secondary exploitation by the nursing hospital. On this day, the Mokpo Branch of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office indicted the salt farm owner for quasi-fraud and violations of the Welfare of Disabled Persons Act for exploiting Jang's labor. It was found that the owner had inherited the salt farm from his father in 2014 and continued the exploitation of victims. Park, a staff member at the nursing hospital, was also indicted for quasi-fraud and embezzlement.
Investigations found that Park siphoned off 90 million won from Jang's account under the pretense of a deposit and embezzled an additional 20 million won through six separate transactions.
The organizations stated, "Although the local government of Buk-gu, Gwangju, is conducting an investigation following media reports, local authorities do not have the authority to investigate crimes involving the transfer of funds held in the accounts of disabled victims beyond the misappropriation of welfare benefits. Therefore, a thorough investigation by the police and other investigative agencies is necessary."
They added, "The actions of the accused constitute secondary victimization, as they economically exploited intellectually disabled individuals who had already suffered long-term labor exploitation, making the nature of their crimes particularly egregious. The accused appear to have used the nursing hospital, a medical and care facility, as a means of committing systematic and repeated crimes, so a thorough investigation is needed to uncover the full extent and prevent further harm."
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