Gwangju:A salt farm owner has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison for abusing and exploiting employees with disabilities. The decision was handed down by the Gwangju District Court on Wednesday, which also imposed a five-year ban on him from working at organizations that serve people with disabilities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 61-year-old owner, whose identity has been withheld, was convicted of quasi-fraud and aggravated confinement. He was accused of withholding approximately 300 million won (US$225,000) in wages from three employees who worked an average of 17 hours a day over a five-year period at his salt farm in Yeonggwang, located 325 kilometers south of Seoul, until June of this year.
The victims, all men in their 50s and 60s, suffer from conditions such as borderline intellectual functioning or visual impairment. They reportedly endured frequent physical abuse and remained dependent on the owner due to their limited ability to defend themselves.
In addition to the owner's sentencing, the court also sentenced two salt farm officials to 10 months in prison, with one of the sentences suspended, for their involvement in the offenses committed by the owner.