"Illegal Stay Reported if Wages Demanded"… Construction Contractor Who Assaulted and Threatened Chinese Workers Receives Suspended Sentence

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A construction businessman in his 60s, who not only illegally employed Chinese workers but also failed to pay wages on time and resorted to threats and violence, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 26th, Judge Go Chun-soon of the Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 3 announced that A (62), who was charged with violating the Labor Standards Act and assault, was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year suspension.

A was prosecuted for employing 15 illegally residing Chinese workers at a construction site in Seogwipo City, Jeju Island, from March 2017 to February 2019.

He was also accused of assaulting three illegally residing Chinese workers, including B (47), who demanded overdue wage payments between January and July last year, and threatening other workers by saying, "If you keep asking for wages, I will report your illegal stay to the police and have you deported."

It was investigated that the unpaid wages owed to five Chinese workers by A amounted to about 86 million won.

The court explained, "The defendant admitted all the crimes and is reflecting on his wrongdoing," adding, "Considering that he was unable to pay wages due to financial difficulties such as not receiving construction payments, and that there were mutual violent exchanges during the conflict, the sentence was determined accordingly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.