- September 4th – 15th: Focused inspections to ensure outstanding payments are made before the holidays - 

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Cho Seung Hwan) will conduct an ‘Inspection of Payments, including of Subcontractor Payments at Harbor Construction Sites’ from September 4th (Monday) to September 15th (Friday) to examine the status and encourage timely settlement of outstanding payments, including harbor construction subcontractor payments, before the upcoming Chuseok holidays.

 The inspection will closely monitor whether appropriate compensation has been paid to subcontractors engaged in ongoing harbor construction projects in accordance with the respective construction progress and whether the prime contractors have made payments for materials, equipment, and labor wages to subcontractors within the deadlines specified in relevant regulations after receiving construction deposits. In addition, the inspections will review outstanding payments to self-employed individuals involved in the construction projects, such as fuel and meal expenses.

 When violations of payment obligations are discovered in the inspection results, respective local authorities responsible for imposing fines will be notified, where fines of up to a maximum of KRW 5 million will be enforced on the relevant contractors. The Ministry will closely monitor and check for any overdue outstanding payments before the Chuseok holidays to ensure their settlement prior to the holidays.

 Furthermore, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will continue to monitor the delay in payments to subcontractors in harbor construction projects even after the Chuseok holidays, with the aim of alleviating the burden on harbor construction workers and self-employed individuals in the sector.