The company was found to have committed numerous other violations and was hit with a fine of nearly 100 million won ($70,800), a labor watchdog said.
Migrant workers demand better labor protection from the Korean government in a rally held in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul on Dec. 14, 2025. This photo is unrelated to the story.
NEWS1
Labor authorities uncovered more than 50 million won ($35,300) in unpaid wages at an Incheon textile factory where Bangladeshi migrant workers were repeatedly subjected to physical and verbal abuse, according to a report from the state-run labor watchdog on Monday.
The company was also found to have committed numerous other violations and was fined nearly 100 million won. Its representatives and others were also referred to prosecutors.
A total of 79 violations subject to administrative fines have been identified at the factory in Seohae District, Incheon, according to a report submitted by the Incheon branch office of the state-run labor watchdog to Democratic Party Rep. Lee Yong-woo.
Two people, including the company’s CEO, were referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The company had registered three separate corporations for its workplaces, but labor authorities determined they were family-run companies under the same ownership structure and treated two of them as a single workplace, deciding that all three were sites subject to inspection.
The authorities launched the inspection after footage aired by news outlets in April showed one of the suspects, who operates one of the corporations, assaulting a migrant worker. The suspect was seen slapping the worker and yanking the worker by the hair.
Labor authorities found that through an inspection focused on violations of the Labor Standards Act that the two workplaces had withheld a combined 52.54 million won in wages.
They identified 50 other violations, including errors in issuing pay slips, and imposed 14.4 million won in fines.
A representative of the Incheon textile company attends a questioning session at the Incheon District Court on June 4.
YONHAP
Another 29 violations involved failures to meet workplace safety requirements, including providing employee safety training and health examinations and installing protective covers and safety railings. Those violations resulted in fines totaling 85.52 million won.
Administrative fines levied on the company’s two workplaces totaled 99.92 million won.
“We referred two people to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act for failing to fulfill their workplace safety obligations,” an official from the state-run labor watchdog said. “We also plan to refer violations of the Labor Standards Act to prosecutors. Because wage theft is an offense that cannot be prosecuted against a victim’s wishes, we are asking the victims whether they want those responsible to be punished.”
The suspect — who was accused of abusing foreign workers in April — was referred to prosecutors in June on charges of assaulting four Bangladeshi workers on seven occasions between March 2023 and April this year at a textile factory in the Gajwa-dong neighborhood of Seohae District, Incheon.
“Whether we made a mistake at work or not, we were often kicked or grabbed by the collar,” a migrant worker told the JoongAng Ilbo. “He looked down on us and asked things like, ‘Do you even have schools in Bangladesh?’ and ‘Do you have air conditioning in your country?’ He also insulted our parents.”
Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon speaks during a town hall meeting to discuss support measures for migrant workers in Gwangju on July 30.
MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR
Police and labor authorities sought an arrest warrant for the suspect on charges of assaulting workers under the Labor Standards Act, which carries heavier penalties than ordinary assault. The authorities took into account that the alleged crimes targeted migrant workers in a socially vulnerable position. Although a court denied the warrant, prosecutors are currently investigating the suspect without detention.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced measures in June to prevent human rights abuses against migrant workers following a series of recent assaults on foreign workers.
The ministry plans to establish dedicated teams to handle issues involving migrant workers at 14 regional labor offices in areas with large foreign populations. The teams will oversee inspections and investigations into human rights violations.
The ministry is also conducting targeted inspections focused on assault and workplace harassment, particularly in areas where migrant workers are densely populated or considered at greater risk of human rights abuses.
BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.