A man in his 30s who was working at Jeonbuk Jangsu NongHyup made an extreme choice, and four employees, including a staff member identified as the perpetrator of workplace bullying, have been indicted.
The Namwon branch of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office indicted four individuals, including an executive identified as A, on charges of violating the Labor Standards Act and intimidation on the 17th. Additionally, two corporations, including NongHyup and a labor consulting firm involved in the case, were also indicted.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, B (then 33), who was working at the NongHyup, was found dead in a car in January 2023. At that time, B was a newlywed who had been married for only three months.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has initiated special labor inspections and has identified evidence that several superiors, including A, engaged in workplace bullying against B at the NongHyup.
Superiors at the NongHyup bullied B by making demands such as, "Go to Seongdong and bring back king crab" or threatening, "You are not doing your job, so we will discipline you" and "Get out of your work."
Investigations revealed that before B's death brought workplace bullying to light, there were frequent instances of unfair work instructions and power harassment at Jangsu NongHyup.
The prosecution reported that they received investigation results from the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and, after legal review, indicted those whose illegal acts were revealed.
A prosecution official noted, "The indicted individuals committed bullying and intimidation against the victim for reasons such as dissatisfaction with their work," and said, "We will do our utmost to maintain the prosecution so that the defendants receive punishments commensurate with their crimes."