Gov't to sternly punish habitual wage defaulters

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- The government said Tuesday it will sternly punish employers who habitually and intentionally do not pay salaries in a timely manner.

A total of 296,000 employees across the country were not properly paid in due time last year, according to data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

"The government will establish the principle of no tolerance against intentional violation of the law by sternly investigating habitual and intentional wage defaulters and putting offenders behind bars," Labor Minister Lee Ki-kweon said during a government-ruling party meeting.

Overdue wages owed to the workers in the country were estimated at 1.29 trillion won (US$1.07 billion) in 2015, according to the data.

Lee further said that the government will intensively monitor workplaces and encourage companies to pay their salaries in a timely manner in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year's holiday in February. This year's holiday falls on Feb. 8.

Rep. Kim Jung-hoon of the ruling Saenuri Party said the party will make efforts and cooperate with the government to swiftly pass a set of related bills on wage defaulters.

khj@yna.co.kr
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