Press Release  Korean Food Stores Located in North Shore Malls Cited for Wage and Hour, Child Labor Law Violations

BOSTON — Attorney General Maura Healey has issued citations, totaling over $51,000, to three specialty Korean food stores located in the Burlington Mall and the North Shore Mall for wage and hour and child labor violations. 

 Peabody Losoon Park, Inc. dba Losoon Park, and its owners Losoon Park and Mili “Terry” Kim were issued nine citations for various labor violations including failure to pay wages, pay minimum wage and overtime, furnish and keep true and accurate payroll records, issue a suitable paystub, provide earned sick time, obtain a valid work permit for working teens, and for the employment of a minor past 8:00 p.m. without supervision. Park and Kim operate several Korean food stores located in Burlington and local Simon Malls in the North Shore area. 

The AG’s Office began investigating the company after receiving a complaint from a driver working for Losoon Park, alleging that they were not properly compensated for hours worked at the required minimum wage, or paid for overtime hours worked. The office issued a payroll demand to the company, however, Losoon Park has not furnished all required records, including payroll records and time-keeping records, requiring investigators to rely on employee testimony to audit the company.  

The AG’s Fair Labor Division found that Losoon Park frequently failed to pay employees for hours worked. Employees were also not offered earned sick leave or provided suitable paystubs. Additionally, the AG’s investigation uncovered that at least two minors worked past 8 p.m. without supervision, and that neither minor employee had been asked for a work permit prior to or during their employment.  

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages including Spanish and Portuguese. 

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Amy Goyer and Supervising Investigator Jennifer Pak, both of the AG’s Fair Labor Division.  

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