![Jongwon Baek CEO of The Born Korea [Photo = Yonhap News]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202504/12/news-p.v1.20250412.9c996da2ec864e9aa1d0bbec689d277d_P1.jpg)
The Ministry of Employment and Labor will investigate whether employment is forced under the Employment Procedure Act and workplace harassment under the Labor Standards Act in connection with the Dubon Korea drinking interview case.
According to the Cheonan Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 12th, an investigator was assigned to the interview for a drinking party in Dubon Korea. The investigation will be conducted by one person in charge of looking into whether it violates the Employment Procedure Act and one labor inspector who will look into whether it is bullying in the workplace.
The Seoul Gangnam branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor received a complaint on the 8th that Dubon Korea violated the recruitment process law and was suspected of bullying in the workplace. The Ministry of Employment and Labor confirmed that there was also a Dubon Korea workplace in Yesan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, where the incident occurred, and transferred the civil complaint to the Cheonan branch office under the jurisdiction on the 10th.
Immediately after receiving the complaint, the Cheonan Branch Office assigned a person in charge of the investigation. In the case of the Employment Procedure Act and workplace harassment cases, the investigation must be completed and the results must be notified within 30 days. However, if the investigation is prolonged due to many matters to be reviewed, it may exceed this period.
![[Picture = JTBC's case leader]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202504/12/news-p.v1.20250412.70ca68519879434089a3121c188c2a17_P1.jpg)
Earlier on the 7th, JTBC’s “Case Team Leader” reported that the manager of Dubon Korea called the applicant to a drinking party in the name of a second interview in the process of recruiting the owner of the Yesan-gun “Budget Suspension Market.”
Under the excuse of being a personality prosecutor, Lee asked a private question, saying, “I had another drinking party today, but I canceled that appointment and came here, so you should drink with me.”
He said, “Don’t you have a boyfriend now? He continued to say, “I shouldn’t have a boyfriend,” or, “I picked someone who had a boyfriend in the past, and he hit me and tested me for personality, and this is how there is a drinking party.”
Manager Lee reportedly put his hand on applicant Lee’s thigh at a drinking party with store owners who passed the final exam.
Dubon Korea said, “We have excluded this employee from work,” and added, “We are taking the issue seriously.”