Farm owner indicted on charges of assaulting, withholding wages from Nepali workers

A South Jeolla farm owner was indicted for assaulting Nepali workers and withholding wages.

Physical violence assault illustration [JOONGANG ILBO]

The owner of a farm in South Jeolla has been indicted for repeatedly assaulting and threatening workers from Nepal and withholding their wages, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office said the 43-year-old farm owner has been indicted and detained on charges of violating the Labor Standards Act and other labor-related offenses.

The prosecutors accuse the owner of, from June 2023 to February 2024, physically assaulting the Nepali workers and threatening to evict them from a pig farm in Yeongam County, South Jeolla. During this period, the farm owner allegedly withheld wages totaling 250 million won ($180,000).

One of the Nepali workers has since died by suicide, authorities said.

Following a supplementary investigation, prosecutors also indicted a Nepali farm supervisor, accusing them of acting as an accomplice to the farm owner's crimes.

“We will do our utmost to protect the rights of foreign workers, who often fall through legal loopholes, and ensure strict punishment is delivered during trial,” a prosecution official said. If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling. Contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE HAY-JUNE [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr