Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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"Yeoljeong pay," a compound word with the main part meaning "passion," refers to employers abusing young employees by not paying them proper wages.
The word was coined in 2014 when a social commerce firm and a renowned clothing manufacturer in Korea were exposed as having abused young employees by paying low wages or nothing.
The latest cases were revealed during the government's multi-pronged investigation from last November to January.
Of 44,601 students from specialized high schools teaching practical skills _― known as Meister high schools ― who gained internships, 238 did not have a proper contract. In other cases, 95 worked overtime, 27 were not paid, 45 were forced to do unprofessional tasks (making coffee, cleaning offices), and 15 were sexually harassed.
The Ministry of Education conducted the investigation with help of Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and provincial education watchdogs.
It led to the education ministry revising laws to prevent young people from being abused during their internship by barring companies from forcing people to work overtime and obliging the companies to write standard contracts.
....A woman in her early 20s working at a convenience store became anxious because her boss did not pay her for months, saying the business was cash-strapped. The shop was put up for sale and the owner stopped appearing at the store and refused to answer the woman's calls, leaving her unpaid.
A freshman with cosmetic makeup skills worked as an intern for a company organizing events. The student did not expect a big pay, but was upset when all he received was money to pay for daily commuting from Cheonan to Seoul ― more than two hours by train.
"About 150,000 students have been gaining experience since educational programs connecting industries and schools have expanded," an education ministry official told Kyosu Shimmun.
"But this has led to more firms abusing young workers by ripping off their wages, worsening the yeoljeong pay problem."
[K-Terminology] More young workers exploited with 'yeoljeong pay'
But, what the article does not say is what repercussions there are for those businesses.
The word was coined in 2014 when a social commerce firm and a renowned clothing manufacturer in Korea were exposed as having abused young employees by paying low wages or nothing.
The latest cases were revealed during the government's multi-pronged investigation from last November to January.
Of 44,601 students from specialized high schools teaching practical skills _― known as Meister high schools ― who gained internships, 238 did not have a proper contract. In other cases, 95 worked overtime, 27 were not paid, 45 were forced to do unprofessional tasks (making coffee, cleaning offices), and 15 were sexually harassed.
The Ministry of Education conducted the investigation with help of Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and provincial education watchdogs.
It led to the education ministry revising laws to prevent young people from being abused during their internship by barring companies from forcing people to work overtime and obliging the companies to write standard contracts.
....A woman in her early 20s working at a convenience store became anxious because her boss did not pay her for months, saying the business was cash-strapped. The shop was put up for sale and the owner stopped appearing at the store and refused to answer the woman's calls, leaving her unpaid.
A freshman with cosmetic makeup skills worked as an intern for a company organizing events. The student did not expect a big pay, but was upset when all he received was money to pay for daily commuting from Cheonan to Seoul ― more than two hours by train.
"About 150,000 students have been gaining experience since educational programs connecting industries and schools have expanded," an education ministry official told Kyosu Shimmun.
"But this has led to more firms abusing young workers by ripping off their wages, worsening the yeoljeong pay problem."
[K-Terminology] More young workers exploited with 'yeoljeong pay'
But, what the article does not say is what repercussions there are for those businesses.
