"10-Year-Old Child Frying Potatoes Until 2 AM: US McDonald's Faces Illegal Labor Crackdown"

Employers Hiring 305 Minors
$212,000 (280 Million KRW) in Fines Imposed

A case of child labor violation was uncovered at a McDonald's store in the United States, where a 10-year-old child worked until dawn.

According to CNN and other foreign media on the 3rd (local time), the U.S. Department of Labor recently conducted crackdowns in the southeastern region, including Kentucky, and uncovered illegal child labor cases involving three McDonald's franchise operators running a total of 62 stores.

[Image source=Pixabay]

The operators were found to have employed 305 minors under the age of 15. It was confirmed that child workers worked beyond the permitted working hours or during nighttime hours when they were not allowed to work.

They were also assigned to dangerous tasks such as operating deep fryers. At one store, it was revealed that two 10-year-old children, who did not even meet the minimum employment age, cleaned and took orders until 2 a.m., causing a public outcry.

The U.S. Department of Labor imposed fines totaling $212,000 (approximately 280 million KRW) on the operators. A U.S. Department of Labor official told CNN in an interview, "There are employers who do not comply with child labor laws," adding, "Under no circumstances should a 10-year-old child handle hot grills or deep fryers in a fast-food kitchen."

Earlier, in February, 154 children at McDonald's stores in Pennsylvania were also involved in violations of working hours, sparking controversy. At that time, the U.S. Department of Labor fined the employers who made children work $92,000 (approximately 121.76 million KRW).

Meanwhile, the United States currently limits child labor hours to 3 hours on weekdays when school is in session and prohibits minors from operating dangerous equipment.

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