Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 93마1822, 1823

Attachment and Order for Assignment of Claims (압류및전부명령)압류및전부명령

Decided1994. 03. 16. Court대법원Employer won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

An employer lent money to an employee and, after failing to be repaid, sued in court and sought an attachment and order for assignment (압류 및 전부명령) over half of the employee's wage claim to recover the debt. The issue was whether this type of compulsory execution against wages was permissible under Korean labor law. The Supreme Court (대법원) ruled that the employer could indeed obtain such an order against a portion of the employee's wages.

Key takeaways
  • CaseAn employer lent money to an employee, and when unpaid, sued and sought to attach and collect part of the employee's wages through court order.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court ruled that such court-ordered attachment and assignment of wages is legal, distinguishing it from prohibited employer self-help wage deductions.
  • LessonEmployers seeking repayment of employee debts must go through proper court procedures (like attachment orders) rather than directly deducting money from wages, since unilateral wage deductions are prohibited but court-sanctioned execution is not.
Issues
  • Whether an employer can obtain a court attachment and assignment order against an employee's wage claims
  • The proper scope of interpretation of the 'full payment of wages' principle under Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act
Key reasoning

Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) establishes the 'full payment of wages' principle, which prohibits an employer from unilaterally offsetting (상계) a debt against an employee's wages. However, the Court held that this principle does not extend to prohibiting court-ordered compulsory execution, such as attachment and assignment orders, against wage claims. Similarly, Article 25, which bars offsetting wages against advance payments (전차금), does not extend to banning court-sanctioned attachment or assignment procedures. Therefore, since the employer pursued formal legal action rather than self-help deduction, the order was valid.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

In light of the principle of full payment of wages provided in the main text of Article 36, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), while an employer cannot set off other claims held against an employee by using the employee's wage claim, such as salary or retirement allowance, as the passive claim for set-off, this does not mean that the employer is prohibited from obtaining an attachment and assignment order (압류 및 전부명령) against one-half of the employee's wage claim against the employer itself, for the purpose of executing a title of obligation (채무명의) against the employee. Furthermore, since Article 25 of the same Act merely provides that an employer may not set off wages against a claim for an advance or other advance payment made on the condition of future labor, this provision cannot be relied upon to conclude that such an attachment and assignment order concerning the employer's wage claim as described above is not permissible.

Full text (English, AI translation) 1,908 chars

[Appellant for Reappeal] Appellant for reappeal
[Lower Court Decision] Suwon District Court Decision 93Ra263, dated October 21, 1993

[Order]

The reappeal is dismissed.

[Reasoning]

The grounds for reappeal are examined.
The main text of Article 36(1) of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) provides that "wages shall be paid directly to the worker in currency, in full," and in light of this principle of full payment of wages, it is true, as the argument points out, that an employer may not set off the employer's other claims against the worker against the worker's wage claims, such as salary or retirement allowance, treating them as passive claims. However, this does not mean that the employer is prohibited from obtaining a garnishment order (전부명령, order of assignment) against the worker's own claim in order to execute a title of obligation held against the worker (see this Court's Decision 74Da1840, delivered on July 22, 1975; en banc Decision 77Da1137, delivered on September 28, 1977).
Furthermore, Article 25 of the same Act merely provides that an employer may not set off a claim for wages against a claim for advance payment made on the condition of future labor, such as an advance loan, or the like, so it cannot be interpreted, based on this provision, that a seizure and garnishment order (order of assignment) with respect to the employer's wage claim as described above is impermissible. The lower court's decision, which is to the same effect as above, is deemed justified and acceptable, and it cannot be said to contain an error of law such as a misunderstanding of the applicable law as argued; therefore, the argument is without merit.
Accordingly, the reappeal is dismissed, and it is so decided as stated in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the participating Justices.

Justice Park Jun-seo (Presiding Justice), Kim Sang-won, Yoon Young-cheol (Justice in charge), Park Man-ho

【판결요지】

근로기준법 제36조 제1항 본문에 규정된 임금의 전액지급의 원칙에 비추어 사용자가 근로자의 급료나 퇴직금 등 임금채권을 수동채권으로 하여 사용자의 근로자에 대한 다른 채권으로 상계할 수 없지만, 그렇다고 하여 사용자가 근로자에 대한 채무명의의 집행을 위하여 근로자의 자신에 대한 임금채권 중 2분의 1 상당액에 관하여 압류 및 전부명령을 받는 것까지 금지하는 취지는 아니고, 같은 법 제25조는 사용자가 전차금 기타 근로할 것을 조건으로 하는 전대채권과 임금을 서로 상계하지 못한다는 취지를 규정한 데 불과하므로 이를 근거로 하여 위와 같은 사용자의 임금채권에 관한 압류 및 전부명령이 허용되지 않는다고 풀이할 수도 없다.

【참조조문】

근로기준법 제36조 제1항, 제25조, 민사소송법 제561조, 제563조, 제579조

【참조판례】

대법원 1975.7.22. 선고 74다1840 판결(공1975,8623), 1977.9.28. 선고 77다1137 전원합의체 판결(공1977,10313)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 712자 · 펼쳐 보기

【재항고인】 재항고인

【원심결정】 수원지방법원 1993.10.21. 자 93라263 결정

【주 문】

재항고를 기각한다.

【이 유】 재항고이유를 본다.

근로기준법 제36조 제1항 본문에서 “임금은 통화로 직접 근로자에게 그 전액을 지급하여야 한다”고 규정하고 있는바, 이러한 임금의 전액지급의 원칙에 비추어 사용자가 근로자의 급료나 퇴직금 등 임금채권을 수동채권으로 하여 사용자의 근로자에 대한 다른 채권으로 상계할 수 없다 할 것임은 소론이 지적하는 바와 같지만, 그렇다고 하여 사용자가 근로자에 대한 채무명의의 집행을 위하여 근로자의 자신에 대한 전부명령을 받는 것까지는 금지하는 취지는 아니라고 볼 것이다(당원 1975.7.22. 선고 74다1840 판결; 1977.9.28. 선고 77다1137 전원합의체 판결 참조).

그리고 같은 법 제25조는 사용자가 전차금 기타 근로한 것을 조건으로 하는 전대채권과 임금을 서로 상계하지 못한다는 취지를 규정한 데 불과하므로, 이를 근거로 하여 위와 같은 사용자의 임금채권에 관한 압류 및 전부명령이 허용되지 않는다고 풀이할 수도 없다. 위와 같은 취지의 원심결정은 정당한 것으로 수긍이 되고 거기에 소론과 같은 법리오해의 위법이 있다 할 수 없으므로, 논지는 이유 없다.

그러므로 재항고를 기각하기로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 결정한다.

대법관 박준서(재판장) 김상원 윤영철(주심) 박만호

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