Gyeongnam Province Declares War on Illegal Activities at Construction Sites

Monthly Tower Crane Fee Demand and Forced Recruitment

Immediate Criminal Charges and Suspension of Qualifications and Licenses

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Gyeongsangnam-do has declared a war against illegal activities at construction sites within the province.

On the 23rd, Gyeongsangnam-do announced that in line with the government's measures to eradicate illegal activities at construction sites, the public, private, and government sectors will cooperate to strictly respond to illegal acts such as demands for monthly tower crane fees, union full-time fees, and forced hiring.

In particular, regarding the demand for monthly tower crane fees, a kind of bribe paid monthly by construction companies to tower crane operators, the province plans to immediately report such cases to the relevant police station by applying criminal charges such as coercion, threats, and extortion under the Criminal Act.

For construction machinery operators who receive monthly fees, their qualifications will be suspended for violating the duty of sincerity and dignity under the National Technical Qualifications Act, and their construction machinery operator licenses will also be suspended.

Gyeongnam Provincial Government Office.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

Earlier, on the 16th, Gyeongsangnam-do, the Busan Regional Land Management Office, Gyeongnam Police Agency, Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office, and construction-related associations formed a regional council to jointly cooperate in guiding and cracking down on illegal activities at construction sites.

According to the province, a full survey of illegal activities at construction sites conducted in January this year through Gyeongsangnam-do and construction-related associations received reports of damage cases from 54 sites.

▲ Construction delays of 40 days due to collective refusal of transport by concrete mixer truck drivers participating in the Cargo Solidarity strike during construction ▲ Forced hiring of workers belonging to the construction union, obstruction of non-union workers from entering the site, resulting in a 2-month construction delay and property damage worth about 100 million KRW.

The reported damage cases are currently under investigation led by the Busan Regional Land Management Office.

The province and related associations plan to support filing complaints on behalf of victim construction companies who are afraid of retaliation and thus unable to report.

Kim Young-sam, Director of the Transportation and Construction Bureau, said, “Crackdown on illegal activities at construction sites will not end temporarily but will continue until they are completely eradicated,” and added, “We hope all residents become watchdogs and actively report to foster a culture of fair construction.”

He added, “Reports of unfair acts in construction work can be made by calling the Gyeongsangnam-do Construction Support Division, the Gyeongsangnam-do branch of the Korea Construction Association, the Gyeongsangnam-do branch of the Korea Specialty Contractors Association, or the Gyeongsangnam-do branch of the Korea Mechanical Equipment Construction Association, or through their respective websites.”

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