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An Immigrant labor couples', forced labor:

A Farm owner takes wages by force, and demands immigrants to find substitute workers

Although the Ministry of labor and the Democratic Party declared they would bring in an 'employment permission system' for improving human rights, it was recently revealed that immigrant laborers not registered (illegal staying foreign workers) have been forced to into mandatory labor.

An immigrant labor couple not registered, "Preyanta"* (*the names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals), and "Nilminy"*, from Sri Lanka, have worked at a farm in Chung-Pyung (owned by Dong-Ik Lee) in Kyung-Ki province since last April. Preyanta and Nilminy have worked 14 hours a day, while only being paid a combined total of 1.3 million Won. Both of them could not endure the sub-standard working conditions, and had demanded to be released from the farm since last August. However, the owner threatened them by stating that he wouldn't pay them if they quit the job without finding replacement workers.

Preyanta and Nilminy, intended to leave the farm immediately after finding substitutes for their positions on September 29th. However when 2 newly employed laborers refused to work at the farm, the owner prohibited the couple from leaving and forced them to continue working and extorted 1.2 million Won from them. The owner, accompanied by a police officer, threatened the couple saying, "I will send you back home (Sri Lanka) unless you continue to work;" while Dong-Ik Lee threatened the couple, the police officer took out his handcuffs to reinforce the threat.

This incident was later confirmed after 'An-Yang Jin-Sang Chun Welfare Center's, a house for immigrant laborer's, chief Kum-Yeo, visited the farm on the 5th of October and took the couple into protective custody.
Mr. Priyanta told a prosecuting official in Kyung-Ki province on the 27th of October, "I want to get back my 1.2 million Won which was extorted, my 2 motorcycles, and my wages from the 29th of September to the 5th of October." He added as well,, "I do not want the police to physically harm me."

Dong-Ik Lee, admitted to activists at the house of Immigrant Labor on the 26th of October that he brought the police and laid down threats to Priyanta and Nilminy. He was bewildered by the activists and stated, "why would Koreans take the side of foreigners?"
Jum-Kwan Park, an activist for the house of Immigrant Labor said, "what makes most non-registered laborers terrified, is telling them, or threatening them that they will be sent home." Employers have exploited immigrant laborers through low wages and forced labor by taking advantage of immigrant worker's inability to obtain legal recourse for substandard working conditions. (Bo-sun Shim)