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Man forced into years of labor at salt farm wins partial victory in civil lawsuit

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 18:42

Close-up of a gavel [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

A man with an intellectual disability who was forced into years of labor at a salt farm in Shinan County, South Jeolla, won a partial victory in a civil lawsuit against the state for failing to protect his rights.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Monday that the Korean government must pay 10 million won ($6,800) to the plaintiff. The lawsuit had sought 35 million won in damages.

The court found that labor inspectors failed to provide proper assistance under disability rights laws, recognizing “a public official’s negligence in prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities and providing necessary accommodations.”

From July 2014 to May 2021, the victim was forced to work under near-constant surveillance at a salt farm in Shinan County. He reportedly worked from 3 a.m. to 11 p.m., with only two supervised outings permitted per year.

After escaping in May 2021, the victim filed a complaint with the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office against the salt farm operator. However, the labor inspector closed the case after the operator offered to pay 4 million won in back pay and pressured the victim to settle.

According to an investigation by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the victim withdrew his complaint via a copy of a message texted to him by the inspector. The labor office accepted his withdrawal despite its repeated spelling mistakes, and the inspector did not ask whether the victim had difficulty communicating or inform him of his right to support services.

In April 2023, the victim filed the civil suit, claiming the settlement pushed by the labor office delayed justice. The case was initially filed with the Administrative Court but was transferred to the Seoul Central District Court after the administrative suit was dismissed.

Meanwhile, the operator was sentenced to five years in prison in August for fraud and violations of the Labor Standards Act.

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.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]