Police Investigate Korea Foodservice Industry Association Over Alleged Bribery in Job Placement for Chinese Nationals

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Allegations have arisen that executives of the Korea Foodservice Industry Association arranged employment for local Chinese individuals at domestic restaurants and collected brokerage fees, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

According to the police on the 13th, the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has been investigating executive A, who served as the head of the Foreign Workforce Support Team at the association, since September last year on charges including violation of the Employment Security Act.

From 2014 to early 2019, A and others directly brokered employment for hundreds of local Chinese individuals. During this process, they reportedly collected brokerage fees ranging from 3 million to 6 million KRW per person, amassing a total of over 1 billion KRW.

Under current law, only employment security agencies are authorized to broker foreign workers. Those who are not authorized agencies and broker employment while receiving money are subject to punishment. A is also suspected of receiving money from association members under the pretext of investment funds by promising exclusive rights to the Chinese workforce dispatch business.

The association is also reported to have abused the Specific Activity Visa (E-7), which allows inviting foreign professionals under certain conditions in regions such as Jeju Island, to bring some foreign workers into the country.

The Korea Foodservice Industry Association is the largest private professional organization in Korea, with 420,000 member establishments.

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