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

While the number of malicious complaints involving verbal abuse and threats against employees at the Ministry of Employment and Labor is on a downward trend, there has been a sharp rise in the number of lawsuits and criminal accusations filed by complainants against labor inspectors in recent years.

According to data submitted by Assemblyman Lee Hakyoung, a member of the National Assembly's Committee on Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor, which was received from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the total number of annual complaints received by the ministry last year was 26,188,000.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which is responsible for employment and labor administration such as wage arrears and unemployment benefits, is regarded as one of the central government agencies with the highest number of incoming complaints. Looking at the yearly trend, the number of complaints temporarily decreased from 25,678,000 in 2022 to 24,530,000 in 2023, but then increased for two consecutive years to 24,748,000 in 2024 and 26,188,000 last year. As of June this year, 14,507,000 complaints have been received.

By contrast, the number of malicious complaints—such as verbal abuse or physical assault—has shown a distinct decrease. The number of malicious complaints increased from 2,436 in 2022 to 3,116 in 2023, but then sharply declined to 1,156 in 2024 and further to 624 last year. In the first half of this year (as of June), only 244 cases were reported. By category (last year), verbal abuse was the most frequent with 403 cases, followed by 77 cases of threats and 10 cases of sexual harassment.

Examples of actual damage include a labor inspector (referred to as "A") who was assaulted in front of an elevator in the hallway by a complainant dissatisfied with the rejection of an early arrival allowance application. Another inspector, "B," was punched twice while trying to stop a disruptive complainant inside the office. In September of last year, a complainant in his 50s, dissatisfied with the handling of his case, attempted arson using flammable materials at the Minister's office in the government’s Sejong complex before being arrested by the police.

The main reason for the decrease in malicious complaints is cited as the establishment of the 'Special Complaint Personnel Protection Team' by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in August 2023, which led to a strong institutional legal response. The ministry's principle is that if an employee is assaulted, the police will be notified or the institution itself will directly file a criminal complaint.

Since 2023, a total of 25 cases of employee assault have been identified, with 4 resulting in an institutional complaint and 12 reported to the police. The remaining 9 cases were closed without action, as the victims did not wish to pursue charges.

However, in contrast to the declining trend in malicious complaints, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of lawsuits and criminal accusations filed by complainants against Ministry of Employment and Labor staff. From August 2023, when the 'Special Complaint Personnel Protection Team' was launched, until May of this year, labor inspectors were sued or accused a total of 248 times while performing their duties. Broken down by period: there were 54 cases from August to December 2023, 58 in 2024, and 74 last year, showing a steady increase. Notably, in just the first five months of this year, 62 cases have been reported, reflecting an even steeper rise.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor provided substantial legal support—including drafting legal opinions, consultations, and appointing lawyers—in 37 out of the total 248 cases. For the other 209 cases, no formal request for attendance was made by investigative authorities, so separate legal assistance was not provided.

Assemblyman Lee Hakyoung stated, "Although verbal abuse from complainants has decreased, the number of lawsuits against inspectors has risen sharply. The Ministry should create a system in which it shares responsibility for labor inspectors' decisions so that they can make judgments confidently without the fear of being sued."

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