“Disabled people forced to work at Taepyeong Salt Fields in Korea” – US Imposes Import Ban

From Chosun Online

April 7 2025

SOUTH KOREA – The US has imposed an import ban on solar salt products produced by a Korean company, citing “forced labor.” This is the first time that a foreign government has banned the import of a Korean company’s products for the reason that they were made using forced labor.

On the 3rd, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is under the US Department of Homeland Security, posted on its website, “Based on information that reasonably indicates that Taepyeong Salt Fields is made using forced labor, we have issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO),” and “CBP officers at all US ports of entry will immediately detain solar salt products supplied from Taepyeong Salt Fields in Korea.” CBP stated, “During the course of our investigation into Taepyeong Salt Fields, we have identified instances of forced labor, including fraud, seizure of identification documents, threats and intimidation, physical violence, wage withholding, and excessive overtime work.” CBP Acting Commissioner Pete Flores emphasized, “Products made using forced labor cannot be brought into the US.”

Taepyeong Salt Fields, located in Jeongdo-myeon, Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, is the largest single salt field company in Korea, and is responsible for 6% of Korea’s solar salt production. It was built in 1953 and designated a national heritage site in 2007.

However, since 2014, suspicions of human trafficking and forced labor of intellectually disabled people have emerged in salt fields in Sinan-gun, including Taepyeong Salt Fields. In 2022, victims of forced labor in salt fields spoke to the media, saying things like “I ran away but was caught” and “I was beaten.” At that time, the person who rented the salt field and abused and exploited the intellectually disabled was sentenced to prison. In November 2022, a Korean human rights group petitioned CBP to impose sanctions on the salt field company, and the result was reached about two years and five months later. Taepyeong Salt Fields said, “Since we forced the person who caused the problem to resign, we have been taking measures to prevent recurrence.”