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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Government Agencies Evade Responsibility as Call Center Workers Face Threats

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Call center workers for a government-operated hotline are subjected to threats, including death threats, from callers frustrated with policy outcomes.
  • The subcontracted workers report these incidents to their employers, who then relay them to the government agency, but receive inadequate support.
  • The article criticizes government agencies for shirking their responsibility as employers, leaving subcontracted call center staff vulnerable to abuse.

A counselor at the '1357 Small and Medium Business Integrated Call Center,' operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, received a death threat from a caller who was denied policy benefits. This incident, occurring daily with dozens of abusive calls, highlights the precarious situation of call center workers who are often subcontracted by government agencies.

I will come with a knife.

— CallerA death threat received by a call center worker.

Despite reporting the threats to their employer, a subcontractor, the workers received little effective support. The ministry's response was limited to advising the employee to "lock the door securely." This lack of a systematic protection manual and the government agency's refusal to acknowledge its role as an employer leaves these workers exposed.

The article points out that a significant portion of the estimated 400,000 call center workers in South Korea are indirectly employed. Even in the public sector, many call centers are operated through private subcontracting, allowing primary government bodies to avoid direct responsibility for worker welfare.

Lock the door securely.

— Ministry of SMEs and StartupsThe ministry's response to a report of a death threat against a call center worker.

Recent legal changes aimed at strengthening labor rights have done little to change this dynamic. Several government agencies, including the Korea Student Aid Foundation, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the National Tax Service, have contested rulings that recognized them as employers, further delaying negotiations and protections for call center staff. This reluctance to engage as employers leaves workers without crucial support systems to handle the constant verbal abuse, harassment, and threats they face.

The subcontracting companies always say 'we have no decision-making power,' and the primary government agencies deny their employer responsibility and stand by.

— Choi Na-young, Organizer, Dundeunhan Call Center UnionDescribing the lack of support and accountability for call center workers.

Data from a survey of 316 call center agents reveals the severity of the problem: 77.5% experienced verbal abuse or threats at least once a month, 80.1% faced condescending remarks, and 13.6% were subjected to sexual harassment. A concerning 39.3% reported that no protective measures were being taken, underscoring the urgent need for government agencies to assume their employer responsibilities and implement robust support systems.

We have to counsel without proper training, just by looking at a piece of paper, and then endure the citizens' venting.

— Nam Mi-kyung, Chairwoman, All of Us Call Center UnionExplaining the difficult working conditions for call center agents at the National Tax Service.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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