The Ministry of Employment and Labor has formed a dedicated team and begun an investigation related to the case of collective wage arrears involving Filipino seasonal workers employed in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province.
Minister Kim Young-hoon said on the 1st that he instructed the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office's Gangwon Branch, which has jurisdiction, to immediately form a dedicated team for the collective wage arrears case and start an investigation.
Previously, 91 Filipino seasonal workers who worked in Yanggu submitted a petition to the Gangwon Branch on the 31st of last month, requesting the payment of their unpaid wages. It is reported that they claim their employers unilaterally deducted 1.2 billion won from the wages they were supposed to receive and paid it to the labor broker.
The Ministry noted, "This incident is linked to the issue of a broker company intervening between the farms and foreign workers and misappropriating commission fees," adding that it will promptly begin an investigation into whether the broker violated the prohibition of intermediary exploitation under the Labor Standards Act.
Minister Kim said, "Foreign workers in rural areas are not merely auxiliary labor to solve labor shortages but are our neighbors working alongside us," and added, "We will thoroughly identify the facts of this shameful incident that does not align with the national dignity of Korea and take stern action against those responsible to prevent its recurrence."