In Seoul, South Korea, reported by Han Hye-won from Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a meeting with seven food sanitation business groups, including the Korea Confectionery Association, the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, and the Korea Food Industry Association, at the Korea University of Technology and Education’s Vocational Competency Evaluation Institute in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 10th.
This meeting was arranged following an incident in March where a part-time worker at a franchise cafe in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, was accused of embezzlement by the store owner for taking three drinks.
As the case became a significant social controversy, the labor ministry conducted a special audit for about two months on 33 cafe and restaurant franchise establishments in Cheongju, including the store in question.
The controversial store owner, identified as Mr. A, was found to have split his establishment into a coffee shop and a dessert store to appear as if it were a business with fewer than five employees. This allowed him to evade paying approximately 3 million won in overtime, night, and holiday pay to 49 employees.
Additionally, many businesses were found to be neglecting basic labor management, such as handling employment contracts and wage statements, and not ensuring employees’ break times, which are violations of fundamental labor standards.
The ministry organized the meeting believing that issues such as non-payment of allowances in small businesses arise often because employers are unfamiliar with labor laws or have a low awareness of labor rights.
Choi Kwan-byeong, director of the labor ministry’s Labor Inspection Policy Division, led the meeting, where participants discussed practical difficulties faced by small-scale food service providers and deliberated on supportive measures for business owners, such as expanding labor education and providing consulting from certified labor attorneys.
Director Choi stated, “Adhering to labor laws is necessary not only for protecting workers’ rights but also for reducing management risks for business owners themselves.” He added, “We will continue to gather feedback from small business owners.”
The labor ministry further explained that it intends to strengthen a preventive support system that helps employers to understand and follow labor laws, rather than focusing on punitive measures after violations occur.