2023-10-09 11:18:39
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Diplomats who represented our country at the United Nations suffered the humiliation of losing a case in a U.S. court after engaging in so-called ‘abuse of power’ by using local drivers for personal work and not even paying them proper overtime pay.
As it turns out, this happened because the National Intelligence Service dispatched workers, who were not provided with official cars to individuals, were using ‘cars with drivers’ for personal use.
Reporter Na Se-woong reports.
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Mr. Nam, a Korean driver who worked at the Korean Mission to the United Nations in New York, USA, filed a lawsuit in a local court immediately after being fired in 2021.
The complaint contains the ‘abusive’ behavior experienced over the past five years.
“In March 2018, at a luxury Korean restaurant with a view on the 39th floor, I had to wait for a construction worker to finish having lunch with a woman I knew and then take her home.” “He treated me like his personal butler,” he revealed.
However, he claimed that he did not receive proper overtime pay.
Employment contract submitted to court.
You must work even on weekends and public holidays when called upon, but overtime pay is only paid for up to 52 hours per month.
This is a clear violation of U.S. labor law.
Not only is it not our government’s standard contract, but it also violates the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guidelines to review local laws when concluding a contract.
The employment contract was concluded not in the name of the Korean Mission to the United Nations, but in the name of the private companies.
This is what happened when, as construction workers dispatched from the National Intelligence Service, they also prepared and used a ‘chauffeur-driven car’ provided only to ambassadors.
A former high-ranking diplomat who is familiar with the situation at the mission said, “I understand that all of the knights’ salaries were paid in cash from the National Intelligence Service budget.”
The Southern District Court of New York also ruled that compensation of $190,000, or 250 million won, including $138,000 in unpaid allowances, pointing out that “the salary was paid in cash and there was no record of wages.”
[김경협/국회 외교통일위원회]
“It is a diplomatic disgrace and a disgrace to the country. We need to inspect all overseas embassies to make sure there are no other cases…”
However, the U.S. court did not hold the companies responsible for compensation for ‘abuse of power’, and the companies were excluded from the lawsuit because they were diplomats.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was asked to pay the money, claims that it was not involved in the litigation process and that the National Intelligence Service is responsible.
On the other hand, the National Intelligence Service pushed it as the work of the United Nations Mission and only stated, “We cannot provide any response as it may affect the appeal, and we have taken action against the public officials’ misconduct.”
This is Na Se-woong from MBC News.
Video coverage: Jaehoon Han/Video editing: Ara Jo
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