Disabled workers' workplace passed five inspections despite ongoing sexual violence

A certified workplace for workers with disabilities in Incheon received a passing grade on human rights management in all five inspections conducted by the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities, even as a female worker with a disability was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a company executive and later gave birth.

Critics say the repeated inspections failed to uncover the abuse because individual interviews with disabled workers are not mandatory and there is no guarantee that such interviews are conducted separately from the employer.

According to data submitted to Rep. Park Jeong of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee by the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the abuse at GH Factory — a certified standard workplace for workers with disabilities in Incheon — began last year and went undetected through multiple agency inspections.

The agency conducted five inspections of the workplace after the abuse began and before media coverage brought it to light. Both on-site and document-based inspections rated the facility as compliant under the "human rights management for workers with disabilities" category. The case became public only after media reports, after which the agency conducted a joint inspection with a regional labor office and revoked the workplace's certification.

Over the past five years, the agency identified a total of seven human rights violations at certified standard workplaces for workers with disabilities. Of these, five were uncovered through agency inspections — four cases of suspected wage arrears and one involving financial harm from an unrepaid loan between workers. A verbal abuse and insult case came to light through a civil complaint, while the GH Factory sexual violence case was discovered through media coverage.

All four workplaces flagged for suspected wage arrears had their certifications revoked. The workplaces where financial disputes between workers and verbal abuse were confirmed were ordered to establish recurrence-prevention plans and conduct staff training, and retained their certifications.

Under the current inspection framework, individual interviews with disabled workers and separate procedures for confirming human rights violations are not required. Park's office noted that even when agency staff attempt to conduct interviews, employer cooperation is needed, and there is no guarantee that interviews will be held outside the employer's presence. Calls are growing for the inspection process to be revised so that affected workers can report abuse free from the employer's influence.

"If repeated on-site inspections still fail to detect human rights violations, we need to take a hard look at whether the current inspection method is truly adequate for verifying the rights of workers with disabilities," Park said. "We must move away from a reactive approach and overhaul the post-certification management system for standard workplaces to enable early detection of human rights violations — including through individual and separate interviews."