Vietnamese Seasonal Workers in South Korea Allege Wage Theft, Abuse

Vietnamese seasonal workers brought to South Korea's Jinan County under an agricultural program are alleging severe labor rights violations, including unpaid wages, grueling workdays, and mistreatment by farm owners. A local human rights group has filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor on behalf of three workers.

The group, Jeonbuk Migrant Human Rights and Labor Network, stated that over 10 seasonal workers are currently owed wages. They also highlighted broader management problems, such as delays in issuing foreign registration cards and opening bank accounts, which are hindering the workers' ability to manage their affairs.

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We have filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor on behalf of three Vietnamese seasonal workers for unpaid wages and failure to provide wage statements, among other violations of the Labor Standards Act.

One Vietnamese worker, in his 40s, described working over 11 hours daily, from before dawn until after dusk, on a farm cultivating watermelons and peppers. This exceeded the contracted hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no proper compensation for overtime. He also reported witnessing the farm owner physically assault a colleague and faced dismissive responses when he tried to report the long hours and abuse.

Despite being transferred to two other farms, the worker did not receive full wages from his initial and final placements before returning to Vietnam. The Jeonbuk Migrant Human Rights and Labor Network is urging a thorough investigation into the alleged wage theft, labor law violations, and abuse, and is calling on Jinan County to implement measures to prevent future recurrences.

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