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Identifying Violations of Labor Rights at Salt Evaporation Ponds, Supporting Damage Recovery, and Creating Workplaces Where Human Rights Are Respected
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2026.08.10.
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Identifying Violations of Labor Rights at Salt Evaporation Ponds, Supporting Damage Recovery, and Creating Workplaces Where Human Rights Are Respected
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo), Ministry of Employment and Labor (MEL; Minister Kim Young-hoon), National Police Agency (NPA; Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong), and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (Jeonnam-Gwangju; Mayor Min Hyeong-bae) signed an MOU on Thursday, July 30 at the Gwangju Government Complex to protect the labor rights of salt pan workers.
This MOU was established to eradicate violations of salt evaporation pond workers' labor rights and foster a human rights-friendly salt evaporation pond industry by making the cooperative framework permanent, following a joint interagency response system formed immediately after an incident of assault and forced labor involving salt evaporation pond workers in Yeonggwang last June, which led to strict enforcement actions*.
* (MEL) Confirmed violations including forced labor, assault, and wage exploitation (KRW 163 million or more) → filed criminal charges and referred to the prosecution
(NPA) Confirmed violations including unlawful confinement and embezzlement → Emergency hospitalization for victims and temporary shelter, conducting custodial investigation of the employer and referring the case to the prosecution
Each agency plans to faithfully implement the provisions of the MOU by making “finding, restoring, and changing” its key tasks.
➊ Workplaces violating the law will be identified through joint inspections and strict action will be taken.
The relevant agencies will jointly conduct a fact-finding survey on the employment conditions of salt evaporation pond workers. For workplaces suspected of labor rights violations such as forced labor, they plan to take strict action in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations including labor inspections (MEL) and revocation of salt pan permits and recovery of subsidies (MOF)*.
* The government will amend the Salt Industry Promotion Act to clarify the criteria for revoking permits from workplaces involved in forced labor and assault and also amend regulations restricting participation in government stockpiling projects and private purchase support programs.
➋ Prompt support for the recovery of affected workers.
Given the isolated nature of salt evaporation pond working environments where workers often reside at the workplace, the authorities and NPA plan to provide swift support for victim recovery including temporary shelter, connections to social protection facilities, and psychological support services.
➌ Raising employers' awareness of labor rights and supporting the improvement of working conditions:
MOF, MEL, and Jeonnam-Gwangju will enhance employers’ awareness of labor rights through education on compliance with labor laws, with MEL and Jeonnam-Gwangju to explore financial support measures to improve the working environment—such as upgrading dining and dormitory facilities or supporting health checkups for workers—by taking into account the poor working conditions in salt evaporation ponds.
* At the same time, MOF will implement institutional improvements including making employer education mandatory.
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo said that MOF—as the lead ministry for the solar salt industry—will responsibly push forward with institutional improvements and normalization of the industry. “Going forward, we will strengthen fact-finding inspections and human rights education to protect the labor rights of salt evaporation pond workers and take strict measures in accordance with the relevant laws if human rights violations are confirmed,” he added.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon sees today’s MOU signing as a commitment to action to identify violations of labor rights jointly, restore victims, and transform the workplace. “I will work together with the relevant agencies to create workplaces where labor rights are respected, so that archaic cases like salt evaporation pond slavery will never occur again,” he vowed.
According to Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong of the NPA, the relationship between related agencies will become even more interconnected through today’s signing of the MOU. “We will establish a cooperative system and conduct effective joint inspections and promptly and thoroughly investigate any illegal acts identified during the process to ensure that there are no more innocent victims,” he added.
“I hope that today’s MOU will serve as a new starting point for the sustainable development of the salt farm industry and the protection of workers’ human rights. We will do our best to prevent human rights violations in salt evaporation ponds by improving the vulnerable working environment and strengthening labor human rights education and surveys on the working conditions of workers,” said Min Hyeong-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju.
- The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries signs an MOU with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, National Police Agency, and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City to protect labor rights of salt farm workers.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo), Ministry of Employment and Labor (MEL; Minister Kim Young-hoon), National Police Agency (NPA; Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong), and Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (Jeonnam-Gwangju; Mayor Min Hyeong-bae) signed an MOU on Thursday, July 30 at the Gwangju Government Complex to protect the labor rights of salt pan workers.
This MOU was established to eradicate violations of salt evaporation pond workers' labor rights and foster a human rights-friendly salt evaporation pond industry by making the cooperative framework permanent, following a joint interagency response system formed immediately after an incident of assault and forced labor involving salt evaporation pond workers in Yeonggwang last June, which led to strict enforcement actions*.
* (MEL) Confirmed violations including forced labor, assault, and wage exploitation (KRW 163 million or more) → filed criminal charges and referred to the prosecution
(NPA) Confirmed violations including unlawful confinement and embezzlement → Emergency hospitalization for victims and temporary shelter, conducting custodial investigation of the employer and referring the case to the prosecution
Each agency plans to faithfully implement the provisions of the MOU by making “finding, restoring, and changing” its key tasks.
➊ Workplaces violating the law will be identified through joint inspections and strict action will be taken.
The relevant agencies will jointly conduct a fact-finding survey on the employment conditions of salt evaporation pond workers. For workplaces suspected of labor rights violations such as forced labor, they plan to take strict action in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations including labor inspections (MEL) and revocation of salt pan permits and recovery of subsidies (MOF)*.
* The government will amend the Salt Industry Promotion Act to clarify the criteria for revoking permits from workplaces involved in forced labor and assault and also amend regulations restricting participation in government stockpiling projects and private purchase support programs.
➋ Prompt support for the recovery of affected workers.
Given the isolated nature of salt evaporation pond working environments where workers often reside at the workplace, the authorities and NPA plan to provide swift support for victim recovery including temporary shelter, connections to social protection facilities, and psychological support services.
➌ Raising employers' awareness of labor rights and supporting the improvement of working conditions:
MOF, MEL, and Jeonnam-Gwangju will enhance employers’ awareness of labor rights through education on compliance with labor laws, with MEL and Jeonnam-Gwangju to explore financial support measures to improve the working environment—such as upgrading dining and dormitory facilities or supporting health checkups for workers—by taking into account the poor working conditions in salt evaporation ponds.
* At the same time, MOF will implement institutional improvements including making employer education mandatory.
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo said that MOF—as the lead ministry for the solar salt industry—will responsibly push forward with institutional improvements and normalization of the industry. “Going forward, we will strengthen fact-finding inspections and human rights education to protect the labor rights of salt evaporation pond workers and take strict measures in accordance with the relevant laws if human rights violations are confirmed,” he added.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon sees today’s MOU signing as a commitment to action to identify violations of labor rights jointly, restore victims, and transform the workplace. “I will work together with the relevant agencies to create workplaces where labor rights are respected, so that archaic cases like salt evaporation pond slavery will never occur again,” he vowed.
According to Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong of the NPA, the relationship between related agencies will become even more interconnected through today’s signing of the MOU. “We will establish a cooperative system and conduct effective joint inspections and promptly and thoroughly investigate any illegal acts identified during the process to ensure that there are no more innocent victims,” he added.
“I hope that today’s MOU will serve as a new starting point for the sustainable development of the salt farm industry and the protection of workers’ human rights. We will do our best to prevent human rights violations in salt evaporation ponds by improving the vulnerable working environment and strengthening labor human rights education and surveys on the working conditions of workers,” said Min Hyeong-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju.
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