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Special Labor Supervision on Seafarer's Wages Ahead of the Lunar New Year Holiday

  • Date

    2026.01.29.

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Special Labor Supervision on Seafarer's Wages Ahead of the Lunar New Year Holiday
- Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries, conducting special labor supervision from January 8 to February 4
 
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will conduct special labor supervision for four weeks, from January 8 (Thu.) to February 4 (Wed.), ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, to prevent wage arrears and ensure the payment of overdue wages to seafarers.
 
The ministry conducts special labor supervision every year ahead of holidays. Last Chuseok, it inspected and persistently monitored 35 workplaces culpable of overdue wages, resulting in the payment of around KRW 526 million in overdue wages to 56 seafarers at 13 workplaces.
 
This special labor supervision will be conducted by an inspection team organized by each of the 11 Regional Offices of Oceans and Fisheries nationwide. Business operators confirmed to be culpable wage arrears will be mandated to immediately establish payment measures, and ongoing monitoring will continue even after the holiday.
 
If a business becomes liquidated or bankrupt, seafarers will be actively informed that they can receive their wages through the Seafarers' Wage Claim Guarantee Fund. In the case of filing a lawsuit, including legal action, consultations and various legal services will be actively provided through the "Free Seafarers' Legal Aid Program*" offered by the Korea Seafarers' Welfare and Employment Center and the Korea Legal Aid Corporation.
 
* (Inquiries) Korea Seafarers' Welfare & Employment Center, Seafarers' Legal Aid Team (051-996-3647)/ Korea Legal Aid Corporation (Toll-free 132)
 
Heo Man-wook, Director of the Shipping and Logistics Bureau of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure prompt payment of overdue wages so that seafarers can enjoy a warm-hearted holiday season," and added, "We will persistently monitor businesses with particularly egregious wage arrears even after the holiday."

 
Reference 1   Measures to Prevent and Resolve Seafarer Wage Arrears Ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year Holiday
 
□ Project Overview
 
ㅇ (Purpose) Prevent seafarer wage arrears through special labor inspections before the holiday, actively resolve existing wage arrears, and support seafarers' livelihood stability and create a warm-hearted holiday atmosphere.
 
ㅇ (Period) January 8, 2026 (Thu.) - February 4, 2026 (Wed.) (4 weeks)
 
* (Lunar New Year Holiday) 2026. February 16 (Mon.) - February 18 (Wed.) / Follow-up measures for pending cases will be conducted until the semi-annual period (until June 30).
 
ㅇ (Inspection Team) 12* Organized and operated by the heads of the Seafarer & Maritime Safety Office (Teams) of affiliated agencies and their members.
 
* Including the Jeju (Maritime) Fisheries Management Service.
 
ㅇ (Inspection Targets) Businesses with wage arrears for the past three years and high-risk companies.

□ Key Contents
 
ㅇ Strengthening wage arrears prevention activities at high-risk companies.
 
- Regularly monitor wage payment status at companies suspected of wage arrears.
 
- Immediately visit the workplace upon learning of culpability for wage arrears and devise payment measures.
 
- Thoroughly assess the status of fixed wage payments at workplaces that pay production stipends.
 
- Publicize a list of employers culpable of wage arrears for three years or more and conduct internal publicity campaigns.
 
ㅇ Payment of arrears by companies with existing wage arrears.
 
- Actively utilize the Wage Claim Guarantee Fund system to induce payment of arrears.
 
- Urge priority payment of seafarer wages when disposing of owned vessels at auction.
 
- Assign a dedicated Seafarer Labor Supervisor to manage insolvent companies (including those undergoing corporate rehabilitation proceedings).
 
- Regularly monitor high-risk companies, including on-site visits, until wages are paid.
 
- Actively support civil lawsuits & other legal action (including issuance of wage arrears documents) in cooperation with the Korea Seafarers' Welfare & Employment Center (Korea Legal Aid Corporation) and local seafarers' unions.
 
- Intensive management of companies that habitually fail to pay wages to foreign seafarers.
 
ㅇ Strong measures, including suspension of business operators' departure and referral to prosecutors' offices.
 
Reference 2   Korea Seafarers' Welfare & Employment Center's "Free Legal Aid for Seafarers" Guide
 
□ What is the "Free Legal Aid for Seafarers"?
 
ㅇ The Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries (Korea Seafarers' Welfare & Employment Center) provides free legal services to seafarers who are financially disadvantaged or lack sufficient legal protection by providing legal aid funding to the Korea Legal Aid Corporation.
 
ㅇ The Korea Legal Aid Corporation provides free legal support, including civil lawsuit filing.
 
□ Eligibility for Assistance
 
ㅇ Seafarers affected by wage arrears and severance pay under the Seafarers' Act.
 
* Seafarers under the Seafarers' Act: Persons on board merchant vessels weighing 5 tons or more and fishing vessels weighing 20 tons or more (Article 3 of the Seafarers' Act).
 
ㅇ Seafarers who incurred damages in accidents subject to compensation under the Seafarers' Act and have not been duly compensated.
 
ㅇ Seafarers' families who meet the requirements set by the Korea Legal Aid Corporation.
 
□ How to Apply
 
ㅇ Pre-case consultation & guidance on required documents through the Korea Legal Aid Corporation Call Center.
 
ㅇ Visit a Korea Legal Aid Corporation Office
 
→ Consultation to assess the likelihood of success and review of the feasibility of the case structure, including the requirements for it.
(Case review through consultation is required.)

→ Complete the legal aid application form in the format prescribed by the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and delegate the lawsuit.
 
□ Documents to Submit
 
ㅇ (In case of wage arrears & severance pay) ID card, seal, wage & severance pay arrears certificate etc. for the free legal aid application issued by the Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries (Regional Oceans & Fisheries Office)
 
ㅇ (In case of accidents warranting compensation) Documents proving compensation, such as a medical examination certificate, seafarer's logbook, seafarer's identification card, employment contract, employment rules, payroll, ID card
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