U.S. Customs and Border Protection on April 3 issued a Withhold Release Order against Taepyung Salt Farm, located in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province. The order, which took effect immediately, directs personnel at all U.S. ports of entry to detain any shipments of salt originating from the farm.
The action follows a 2022 petition submitted by South Korean public interest groups, including the Advocates for Public Interest Law, the Research Institute of the Differently Abled Person’s Right, and Wongok Law Office. The petition urged the U.S. government to suspend imports of Korean sun-dried salt over longstanding allegations of labor abuses on salt farms.
The agency said it has found what it described as multiple indicators of forced labor as defined by the International Labor Organization. These included abuse of vulnerability, deception, restricted movement, retention of identity documents, and other forms of coercion and mistreatment of workers.
"The fight against forced labor is a top priority for CBP," said Pete Flores, the agency’s acting commissioner. "Products made with forced labor do not belong in the United States."
CBP officials said that goods produced under such conditions pose a threat to the U.S. economy by distorting fair market competition, often enabling companies to sell goods below market value.
The move marks the first time that products from a South Korean company have been subject to a Withhold Release Order under forced labor provisions.
"This measure has been implemented because the Korean government and companies have failed to properly address and have neglected forced labor in salt farms for over a decade," said Kim Jong-chul, an attorney with Advocates for Public Interest Law, in a statement.
Taepyung Salt Farm has not publicly responded to the allegations.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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