"Discrimination in Wages and Leave Due to Foreign Nationality"... 844 Violations of the Labor Standards Act and Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers Detected

The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) announced on the 19th that it had conducted labor inspections at 196 workplaces vulnerable to foreign worker employment this year, uncovering 846 violations of the law at 182 of these sites.
Issues such as discrimination in wages and leave for foreign workers, exposure to excessive working hours, wage arrears by employers, and acts of assault were brought to light.
Earlier this year, MOEL carried out intensive inspections of workplaces vulnerable to foreign worker employment twice: once from April 28 to the end of June, and again for one month in September.
As a result, the ministry detected cases involving: assault and discriminatory treatment of foreign workers (10 workplaces), wage arrears totaling 1.7 billion won (123 workplaces), excessive working hours (65 workplaces), and failure to provide rest breaks or holidays (22 workplaces).
MOEL noted that many cases involved discriminatory practices such as withholding bonuses or annual leave from foreign workers, or using business difficulties as an excuse to delay payment of wages and allowances. Numerous violations of labor rights were also found, including excessive working hours and failure to guarantee legally mandated breaks and holidays.
MOEL issued corrective orders for the violations identified during this inspection.
The ministry took active administrative measures regarding wage arrears. Through proactive guidance, about 1.27 billion won out of the total 1.7 billion won in unpaid wages affecting 2,742 domestic and foreign workers at 123 workplaces has been settled. The remaining 430 million won is still being addressed.
In cases involving assault or malicious large-scale wage arrears, legal action was taken. For example, A Corporation in Chungnam assaulted foreign workers for causing product defects or working near dangerous machinery, while B Corporation in Gangwon failed to pay approximately 110 million won in wages to 25 domestic and foreign workers since December last year and did not comply with corrective orders. Both companies were immediately referred for investigation and have been sent to the prosecution for violating the Labor Standards Act.
For violations such as failure to enroll foreign workers in departure guarantee insurance or substandard dormitory facilities, corrective orders were issued. In addition, three workplaces that employed foreign workers without the necessary permits will face restrictions on employment permits.
MOEL will continue to monitor compliance with corrective orders and is considering re-inspections for workplaces with a high risk of repeat violations.
Kim Young-hoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, "There can be no distinction between domestic and foreign workers when it comes to protecting basic labor rights. Foreign workers must also be guaranteed their labor rights and be able to work happily. We will proactively monitor vulnerable workplaces, strengthen support for foreign workers, and work with relevant ministries to improve the system and better protect their rights."

[email protected] Kim Jun-hyuk Reporter