Six businesses caught violating labor laws again despite oversight

Six companies have been caught violating labor laws once more, even after being previously inspected and found to be non-compliant. The Central Regional Employment and Labor Office conducted follow-up inspections on 14 companies that continued to receive complaints after initial oversight. These re-inspections uncovered 50 violations of labor laws, leading to penalties for six of the businesses.

Among the repeat offenders, one company was found to have withheld approximately 34 million won (about $25,000) in wages for 11 workers. Another company was cited for repeatedly failing to include production incentives in the calculation of ordinary wages, resulting in underpayment of overtime for 12 employees. A third company, previously cited in 2023 for unpaid wages and severance, was again found to be in violation regarding unused annual leave and severance pay.

While the total number of violations decreased by 30.5% in the re-inspections compared to the initial oversight (50 violations versus 72), the fact that these companies continued to break the law is a significant concern. The Central Regional Employment and Labor Office stated its intention to prosecute habitual offenders and monitor for further non-compliance.

Kim Yoon-tae, head of the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office, attributed the repeated violations to a low level of legal compliance among business owners. He pledged to intensify re-inspections and maintain a strict, zero-tolerance policy towards companies that habitually violate labor laws, particularly concerning wage theft.

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Repeated violations stem from business owners' low awareness of legal compliance. We will strengthen re-inspections for companies that continuously violate the law and maintain a zero-tolerance approach to habitual wage theft.