Complaints and lawsuits against labor inspectors at the Ministry of Employment and Labor have increased for the second consecutive year. In contrast, instances of malicious complaints, such as verbal abuse and threats, have shown a decline.
According to data received by Lee Hak-young, a member of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee, the total number of complaints to the Ministry of Employment and Labor reached 26,188,000 last year. The ministry is known for handling a high volume of employment and labor-related issues.
Yearly figures indicate that while the number of complaints decreased from 25,678,000 in 2022 to 24,530,000 in 2023, it rose again to 24,748,000 in 2024 and reached 26,188,000 last year. As of June this year, 14,507,000 complaints have been filed.
Malicious complaints, including verbal abuse and assault, have been trending downward. The annual count of such complaints rose from 2,436 in 2022 to 3,116 in 2023, but then plummeted to 1,156 in 2024 and further decreased to 624 last year. This year, 244 cases of malicious complaints have been reported by June.
Last year's malicious complaints included 403 cases of verbal abuse, 77 threats, and 10 instances of sexual harassment. One labor inspector was assaulted by a complainant dissatisfied with the rejection of their early work allowance application while waiting for an elevator in the hallway. In September of last year, a disgruntled complainant in their 50s attempted to set fire to the office of the Minister of Labor at the Government Sejong Complex, leading to their arrest by police.
The Ministry attributes the decline in malicious complaints to the activation of the 'Special Complaint Employee Protection Team' in August 2023, which strengthened legal responses at the institutional level. When an employee is assaulted, the ministry follows a principle of reporting to the police or filing institutional complaints. Since 2023, there have been a total of 25 cases of employee assaults, with 4 resulting in institutional complaints and 12 reported to the police.
However, despite the decrease in malicious complaints, the number of lawsuits filed by complainants against ministry employees has been on the rise. Since the establishment of the Special Complaint Employee Protection Team in August 2023, there have been 248 cases of labor inspectors being sued in the course of their duties by May of this year. The numbers have gradually increased from 54 cases between August and December 2023, to 58 in 2024, and 74 last year. By May of this year alone, 62 cases had already been filed, indicating a sharp increase.
In relation to this, the Ministry has provided legal support, including legal advice and attorney appointments, for 37 of the 248 cases. The remaining cases did not require separate legal support due to the absence of formal attendance requests.
Lee Hak-young stated, "While verbal abuse from complainants has decreased, the number of lawsuits against inspectors has significantly increased. The Ministry must establish a system that holds inspectors accountable for their judgments, allowing them to make decisions without fear of lawsuits while protecting labor conditions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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