Seoul: The foreign ministry announced on Monday that a South Korean sea salt farm, Taepyung Salt Farm, which had been under U.S. import restrictions, is now free from forced labor practices. This announcement comes in the wake of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) ban on its products due to alleged labor abuses.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the CBP issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Taepyung Salt Farm, situated in Sinan, South Jeolla Province, 305 kilometers southwest of Seoul. This order mandates that all Taepyung products will be detained upon entry into the United States. The CBP's investigation revealed signs of forced labor, including "abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, and abusive living and working conditions," as detailed by the International Labour Organization.
The foreign ministry stated on Monday that Taepyung Salt Farm no longer engages in such labor practices. A ministry official emphasized that all sea salt exported to the United States from Taepyung is now produced without any forced labor involvement. The official also noted that since the 2021 forced labor incident, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, in coordination with relevant ministries, has implemented corrective measures.
The import restriction was initiated following a petition by South Korea-based advocacy groups in late 2022. This petition was in response to a May 2021 incident where the farm operator was accused of exploiting workers with disabilities. The ministry official mentioned that the government is committed to addressing the issue and will engage in discussions with the U.S. to resolve the matter.
The 19 U.S. Code 1307, under the Tariff Act, prohibits the importation of goods produced by forced labor, including child labor, under penal sanctions. The CBP's decision to impose the import restriction on Taepyung Salt Farm marks the first case involving a South Korean supplier.