"Korean President Urges His Govt to Act on Cambodia’s CIK Factory Labor Case", 10 February 2026

Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s call for ministerial intervention in the Korean-owned CIK factory dispute has renewed hope among former Cambodian garment workers who are awaiting justice after years of legal battle and court decision. The dispute with their factory owner stems from union-related dismissals and alleged labor rights violations dating back to 2017.

…, Lee urged the relevant ministries in his country to intervene in the CIK factory case in Cambodia, citing unfair dismissals before the company was acquired by another entity. He said the issue affected Korea’s reputation abroad…

According to past reports, Cambodian CIK workers were dismissed after forming a union to protest the firing of pregnant employees and repeated short-term contracts. They still await reinstatement despite a court ruling.

…, workers So Chanthea, Keut Sokny and Tep Sreynoeun formed a union to respond to regular dismissals of pregnant workers by CIK Cambodia, which supplies international brands, including Guess, DAIZ and Bonafit.

This resulted in their termination, after which they filed a complaint with the Labor Ministry. The company claimed that the dismissal, which happened almost immediately, was “necessary” to reduce staff numbers due to declining orders.

… Khun Tharo, program manager of NGO Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (Central), pointed out that the company claimed it has no money. He said whether this is true, it is likely that they “will emphasize it during meetings”, adding that it seems that the company has not fully assessed the legal issues involved…

Central sent an email to the Korean labor ministry with calculations of unpaid wages and court fees totalling $107,877 owed by Lim Sang Bin, the current owner of Mix & Match (formerly CIK). Lim’s wife told a representative of NGO Korean House for International Solidarity that the company lacks funds to pay the three workers.

The NGO expects the owners to ensure an effective and timely remedy. In 2024, Korean civil society groups urged the CIK management to implement the court ruling, but executives have reportedly ignored them…