Labor Ministry targets restaurants, cafes with prevention-focused compliance push

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is stepping up labor management support for restaurant and cafe owners to reduce labor law violations in the food service sector, where young part-time workers make up a large share of the workforce.

The ministry said Wednesday it held a meeting at the Korea University of Technology and Education's Vocational Competency Assessment Institute with seven food service industry associations to hear about labor management conditions and on-the-ground difficulties facing small businesses such as restaurants, cafes and bakeries.

Representatives from food hygiene education bodies — including the Korea Food Industry Association, the Korea Confectionery Industry Association and the Korea Food Service Industry Association — attended the meeting. Choe Gwan-byeong, head of the Labor Inspection Policy Division, presided over the session, which also included the Korea Employment and Labor Education Institute.

The ministry launched a targeted inspection in March following an incident at a well-known franchise coffee shop in Cheongju, and has since been informing young workers about grievance procedures and how to handle workplace disputes.

However, the ministry said many small business owners lack sufficient knowledge of labor laws or awareness of workers' rights protections, leading to cases of unpaid allowances and labor-management conflicts.

In response, the ministry said it would move away from a reactive approach focused on after-the-fact detection and punishment, and instead strengthen a prevention-centered system that helps business owners understand and comply with labor law.

At Wednesday's meeting, participants discussed ways to build labor management capacity at small businesses, including expanding labor education tied to existing food hygiene training programs and providing consulting services from certified labor attorneys.

"Compliance with labor law is necessary not only to protect workers' rights but also to reduce the management risk that small business owners face themselves," Choe said. "Starting with this meeting, we will continue to gather the views of small business owners and work toward solutions that allow both workers and employers to work with peace of mind."