K-Terminology More young workers exploited with 'yeoljeong pay'

By Ko Dong-hwan

“Yeoljeong pay,” a compound word with the main part meaning “passion,” refers to employers abusing young employees by not paying them proper wages.

The word was coined in 2014 when a social commerce firm and a renowned clothing manufacturer in Korea were exposed as having abused young employees by paying low wages or nothing.

The latest cases were revealed during the government’s multi-pronged investigation from last November to January.

Of 44,601 students from specialized high schools teaching practical skills _― known as Meister high schools ― who gained internships, 238 did not have a proper contract. In other cases, 95 worked overtime, 27 were not paid, 45 were forced to do unprofessional tasks (making coffee, cleaning offices), and 15 were sexually harassed.

The Ministry of Education conducted the investigation with help of Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and provincial education watchdogs.

It led to the education ministry revising laws to prevent young people from being abused during their internship by barring companies from forcing people to work overtime and obliging the companies to write standard contracts.

After the public learned that yeoljeong pay stymied many young employees in work places, personal stories of similar incidents have increased.

A Meister high school student, 19, worked as an intern at an automobile part factory 12 hours a day ―_the same as regular workers ― and received 900,000 won ($805) a month. Exhausted, he complained to the school about his extreme fatigue ― only to be told to “suck it up.”

A woman in her early 20s working at a convenience store became anxious because her boss did not pay her for months, saying the business was cash-strapped. The shop was put up for sale and the owner stopped appearing at the store and refused to answer the woman’s calls, leaving her unpaid.

A freshman with cosmetic makeup skills worked as an intern for a company organizing events. The student did not expect a big pay, but was upset when all he received was money to pay for daily commuting from Cheonan to Seoul ― more than two hours by train.

“About 150,000 students have been gaining experience since educational programs connecting industries and schools have expanded,” an education ministry official told Kyosu Shimmun.

“But this has led to more firms abusing young workers by ripping off their wages, worsening the yeoljeong pay problem.”

Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party has made eradicating yeoljeong pay part of his platform as he contests the presidential election due in May.

Well known for his outspoken support of young adults, the lawmaker held an open forum at a Hongdae cafe in Seoul in February inviting anyone concerned about yeoljeong pay.

The advertisement for the forum says,“No! Yeoljeong Pay, Yes! Fair Pay.”

Some older people scoff at yeoljeong pay, claiming they went through “harsher periods” and did not openly complain.

“We used to have one meal a day for weeks and still had guts to survive in times of hunger,” one person said.

“Kids these days are weak, being antsy about everything.”

But such words are provocative and illogical to today’s victims of workplace exploitation.

Concerned citizens believe that in these times of uncertainty and moral danger, the nation’s fledging labor force needs practical solutions and reasonable government support, not being told to “work harder.”

The Korean comedy film “You Call It Passion” (2015) questions the yeoljeong pay issue by putting a college-graduate rookie newspaper reporter of a demanding boss.

“What can possibly prevent you when you have passion?” the boss chides the rookie, who later tells him, “Shove that passion up your ass.”