A salt farm owner who exploited a disabled worker for a decade has been sentenced to three years in prison. The Gwangju District Court's Criminal Division 2, led by Judge Kim Jong-seok, upheld the original sentence on October 14, rejecting the appeal of the 59-year-old owner, identified as A, who was charged with fraud and violations of the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act.
A was accused of forcing a 65-year-old intellectually disabled victim, identified as B, to work at a salt farm in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, from April 2014 to August 2024, while exploiting approximately 96 million won in unpaid wages.
Investigations revealed that A disguised the payments by depositing B's salary into a bank account under B's name, but A's family actually managed and used the account for personal purposes. A's brother, C, 58, and an associate, D, 63, were also tried for misappropriating funds from the victim's account. The court sentenced them to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence and 18 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, respectively, consistent with the original ruling.
The court stated, "It is clear that the victim was in a state of mental disability at the time of the crime, and the defendants took advantage of this fact. We find it difficult to accept claims that they did not participate in some of the crimes or that the victim's testimony lacks credibility." The court added, "The original ruling is valid, and we do not find the sentence imposed to be excessively harsh, thus rejecting all appeals from the defendants and the prosecution."
This case came to light during a comprehensive labor inspection conducted in the salt farm area of Sinan County in 2023. Previously, A had received a fine of 3 million won and a one-year suspended sentence for violating labor standards regarding B, which drew public criticism as a lenient punishment and led to scrutiny during a government audit. At that time, prosecutors and the court explained that the separate prosecution and sentencing were due to the approaching statute of limitations and the application of sentencing guidelines.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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