Korean convenience chain Emart24 under probe in Singapore over employees’ unpaid salaries

South Korean convenience store chain Emart24 Singapore is under probe for allegedly not paying its employees their wages.

Responding to queries on April 12, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) in a joint statement said TADM received claims for unpaid salaries from 15 former Emart24 Singapore employees.

TADM is helping the workers, and five of them have been able to reach an agreement with Emart24, the statement said. They are now being repaid after mediation efforts by TADM, it added.

“TADM is in the process of scheduling mediation sessions for the remaining workers,” it said.

It added that affected employees who need employment assistance have been referred to the NTUC Employment and Employability Institute.

Emart24 debuted in Singapore to much fanfare in December 2022, but abruptly shut all three outlets in March 2024.

The outlets were in Jurong Point and Nex shopping centres and Margaret Market in Queenstown.

News of the chain’s closure broke in a March 18 Facebook post by Singapore Atrium Sale, leaving many people speculating about the reason behind Emart24 Singapore’s sudden exit.

The chain did not respond to Straits Times queries at the time. 

However, South Korean news agency Yonhap, in a later report, said Emart24 made the decision to suspend operations as part of preparations for “something new”.

“We have been making significant management decisions to reshuffle the outlets to better serve customers with some new and exciting offerings and concepts,” the Emart24 statement said.

So far, the firm is still listed as a “live company”, according to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s records.

ST has contacted Emart24 for more details.

The MOM and TADM joint statement said employers must pay workers’ salaries on time, and any employee who requires help with salary claims can approach TADM by going to its website.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.