"Business Owner Arrested for Withholding Wages and Embezzling 12 Billion Won in Company Funds"…Selected as Labor Inspector of the Year

Ministry of Employment and Labor Honors Labor and Industrial Safety Inspectors of the Year

Labor inspectors who arrested and investigated a business owner for withholding 1.45 billion won in employee wages while misappropriating 12 billion won of company funds for personal and family use have been selected as Labor Inspectors of the Year.

On January 11, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it had selected and awarded a total of 15 outstanding individuals as the 2025 Labor Inspectors and Industrial Safety Inspectors of the Year for their exceptional achievements.

Among the honorees, 10 were labor inspectors. In the field of labor dispute resolution, four individuals were recognized, including Lee Jungwook, a labor inspector at the Busan Northern District Office, who arrested and investigated a business owner for withholding 1.45 billion won in wages and misappropriating approximately 12 billion won of corporate funds for personal and family use.

In the area of labor inspection, four individuals were awarded, including Park Miseon, a labor inspector at the Daejeon Office, who conducted a special inspection of contractors and subcontractors, uncovered illegal dispatch practices, and ordered the direct employment of 41 workers by the primary contractor.

In the field of labor-management cooperation, Jang Sunho, a labor inspector at the Seoul Office, and others were recognized for actively mediating and resolving conflicts at workplaces with acute labor-management disputes.

For the 2025 Industrial Safety Inspector of the Year, five individuals were selected, including Kim In, an industrial safety inspector at the Gyeonggi Office, who analyzed 20,000 pages of investigation materials related to a bridge collapse accident with multiple casualties and referred two responsible individuals for arrest and prosecution.

Departments recognized as Labor Inspection Teams of the Year include the Metropolitan Labor Standards Inspection Division at the Seoul Office, the Labor Standards Inspection Division at the Seoul Western District Office, the Labor Standards Investigation Division at the Gangwon Office, the Metropolitan Labor Standards Inspection Division at the Gwangju Office, and the Labor Standards Investigation Divisions 1 and 2 at the Daejeon Office.

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon urged, "I hope that labor inspectors will continue to do their utmost this year, believing that every drop of sweat they shed makes workplaces more just and safe for workers."