Verbal and Physical Abuse Decreasing, but Lawsuits and Complaints Surge... Labor Inspectors Face Intensifying Legal Pressures

While there has been a downward trend in malicious complaints—including verbal abuse and threats—targeting employees of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of lawsuits and criminal complaints filed by petitioners against labor inspectors has been rising sharply in recent years.

According to data submitted by Lee Hakyoung, a member of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, to whom the Ministry of Employment and Labor provided information on October 5, the total number of petitions received by the ministry last year was 26,188,000 cases.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which is responsible for various employment and labor administration tasks such as wage arrears and unemployment benefits, is known to be one of the central government agencies with the highest volume of petitions. The annual petition trend shows a decrease from 25,678,000 cases in 2022 to 24,530,000 in 2023, but a rise to 24,748,000 in 2024 and 26,188,000 last year, marking an increase for two consecutive years. As of June this year, 14,507,000 cases have already been received.

Conversely, the number of malicious complaints—including verbal abuse and physical assault—has shown a distinct decline. The annual number of malicious complaints increased from 2,436 in 2022 to 3,116 in 2023, but then dropped significantly to 1,156 in 2024 and 624 last year. In the first half of this year (as of June), only 244 cases have been recorded. By type (as of last year), verbal abuse accounted for the largest share with 403 cases. There were 77 cases of threats and 10 cases of sexual harassment.

In actual incidents, Labor Inspector A suffered physical assault from a petitioner dissatisfied with the rejection of an early arrival allowance application, in front of the elevator in the corridor. Similarly, Inspector B was struck twice with a fist while trying to restrain a disruptive petitioner inside the government building. In addition, in September last year, a petitioner in their 50s, disgruntled with the handling of their case, attempted to set fire to the Office of the Minister at the Ministry of Employment and Labor in the Government Complex Sejong using flammable materials, but was apprehended by the police.

The main factor behind the decline in malicious complaints is attributed to the ministry's launch of the 'Special Petition Employee Protection Taskforce' in August 2023, which implemented strong institutional legal responses. The ministry's official policy is to report all attacks on employees to the police or to press charges directly at the institutional level.

Since 2023, a total of 25 cases of employee assault have been identified. Among these, 4 cases resulted in institutional complaints being filed, 12 led to police reports, and the remaining 9 were closed without action as the victims did not wish to pursue further measures.

However, in contrast to the declining trend in malicious complaints, lawsuits and criminal complaints filed by petitioners against employees of the ministry have been steadily increasing. From August 2023, when the 'Special Petition Employee Protection Taskforce' was launched, until May this year, there have been a total of 248 cases in which labor inspectors were sued or accused while carrying out their work duties. By year, there were 54 cases from August to December 2023, 58 cases in 2024, and 74 cases last year, indicating a steady increase. Notably, in the first five months of this year alone, 62 cases have already been recorded—a sharp rise.

Out of the total 248 cases, the Ministry of Employment and Labor provided substantial legal support—including drafting statements, legal counseling, and arranging for legal representation—in 37 cases. For the remaining 209 cases, no formal attendance request was received from investigative authorities, so no legal assistance was provided in those instances.

Assemblyman Lee Hakyoung stated, "While verbal abuse from petitioners has decreased, lawsuits against inspectors have risen sharply," adding, "The ministry needs to establish a system where it shares responsibility for inspectors' judgments, so labor inspectors can make decisions with conviction and without fear of legal repercussions."

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