Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 95누2050

Revocation of Disposition Denying Subrogated Insurance Benefit Payment (체당보험급여부지급처분취소)체당보험급여부지급처분취소

Decided1995. 12. 22. Court대법원Worker (foreign trainee) 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.

A foreign industrial trainee signed a 'training contract' (연수계약) with a company, but in practice worked under the direction and supervision of the workplace and received payment in return for that labor. The Supreme Court ruled that such a trainee qualifies as an 'employee' (근로자) under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), regardless of the contract's title, and is therefore entitled to receive benefits under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (산업재해보상보험법) when injured on the job. This case confirms that the actual substance of the working relationship—not the formal label of the contract—determines employee status.

Key takeaways
  • CaseA foreign trainee under a 'training contract' worked under company supervision, received pay, and suffered a work-related injury, but was denied industrial accident insurance benefits on the grounds that trainees are not employees.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court ruled that since the trainee actually worked under the employer's control and was paid wages, he was legally an employee entitled to industrial accident insurance benefits.
  • LessonForeign workers should know that the title of their contract (e.g., 'training' or 'internship') does not determine their legal rights—if you work under supervision and are paid for it, you are protected as an employee under Korean labor law.
Issues
  • Whether an industrial technical trainee (산업기술연수생) can be recognized as an 'employee' under labor law
  • The criteria for distinguishing a training contract from an actual employment contract
  • The scope of industrial accident insurance coverage for foreign trainees
Key reasoning

Even if a contract is formally labeled a 'training contract,' if the foreign trainee actually provided labor for wages while being subject to the employer's direction and supervision in a subordinate relationship, that person qualifies as an 'employee' under the Labor Standards Act. The court emphasized that the real test is whether there was genuine supervisory control by the employer and whether the labor provided was compensated as wages, not the name given to the contract. Formal contractual titles such as 'trainee' or 'training program participant' cannot be used to circumvent labor law protections. Because the substance of the relationship matched that of employment, the trainee was entitled to industrial accident insurance coverage. This decision reflects the broader principle that Korean labor law looks at actual working conditions over contractual form.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

Even if a foreign national who obtained an industrial technical trainee visa was assigned as an industrial technical trainee to a domestic host company under the foreign industrial technical training system implemented by the government, and entered into a training contract with the host company in the form of a contract prescribed by the guidelines of the Minister of Commerce and Industry (상공부장관), if the content of the contract does not merely amount to industrial technical training, but rather involves providing labor for prescribed hours as directed by the host company, receiving a fixed amount of money in return, and, moreover, receiving overtime pay pursuant to the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) for work performed beyond the prescribed hours, and if, in accordance therewith, the foreign national in question actually provided labor while receiving direction and supervision from the host company at its place of business and received money in the name of allowances, then such foreign national also constitutes a worker (근로자) under Article 14 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법).

Full text (English, AI translation) 3,656 chars

[Plaintiff, Appellee]

[Defendant, Appellant] Korea Labor Welfare Corporation
[Court Below] Daegu High Court Judgment of December 29, 1994, Case No. 94Gu2740

[Order]

The appeal is dismissed. The costs of the appeal shall be borne by the Defendant.

[Reasoning]

We examine the grounds of appeal.

1. Regardless of whether a contract is a civil law employment contract (고용계약) or a contract for work (도급계약), and regardless of the form of the contract, if a worker has in substance provided labor to an employer in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of receiving wages, that person constitutes a "worker" under Article 14 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) (see this Court's Decisions 90Da20251, delivered July 26, 1991; 91Da24250, delivered December 13, 1991; 92Do674, delivered June 26, 1992, etc.). Accordingly, even where a foreign national who has obtained an industrial technical trainee visa is assigned as an industrial technical trainee to a domestic host company under the industrial technical training program for foreigners implemented by the Government, and enters into a training contract with the host company using the contract form prescribed by the guidelines of the Minister of Trade and Industry, if the content of that contract is not limited to mere industrial technical training but instead requires the trainee to provide labor for prescribed hours in accordance with the host company's instructions, in return for which a fixed amount of money is paid, and further provides that overtime allowance under the Labor Standards Act shall be paid for work performed beyond the prescribed hours, and if, in accordance therewith, the foreign national has in fact provided labor at the host company's place of business while actually being subject to the host company's direction and supervision, and has received money in the name of allowances, then that foreign national also constitutes a "worker" under Article 14 of the Labor Standards Act.

2. The court below found, based on the evidence it adopted, that the non-party, an ethnic Korean Chinese national who was assigned as an industrial technical trainee to ○○ Dyeing Works, a dyeing and processing business operated by the Plaintiff and enrolled under industrial accident compensation insurance, entered into a contract with the Plaintiff containing the terms set out in its judgment, and provided labor at the said ○○ Dyeing Works as set out in its judgment. Upon examination of the record, such factual findings by the court below are justified. In light of the contents of the contract between the Plaintiff and the said non-party as found by the court below and the substantive nature of the labor provided by the said non-party, it is clear that the said non-party provided labor to the Plaintiff for the purpose of receiving wages in a subordinate relationship, and thus constitutes a "worker" under Article 14 of the Labor Standards Act. Accordingly, if the said non-party suffered burns while working at the said ○○ Dyeing Works as set out in the judgment below, the said non-party is entitled to receive insurance benefits under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (산업재해보상보험법) for such occupational injury, and the judgment of the court below to the same effect is likewise justified.

All of the grounds of appeal are without merit.

3. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed, and the costs of the appeal are to be borne by the losing party. This judgment is rendered by unanimous opinion of the participating Justices, as set forth in the Order.

Justice Lee Yong-hoon (Presiding Justice), Park Man-ho, Park Jun-seo (Justice in charge), Kim Hyung-seon

【판결요지】

산업기술연수사증을 발급받은 외국인이 정부가 실시하는 외국인 산업기술연수제도의 국내 대상 업체에 산업기술연수생으로 배정되어 대상 업체와 사이에 상공부장관의 지침에 따른 계약서의 양식에 따라 연수계약을 체결하였다 하더라도 그 계약의 내용이 단순히 산업기술의 연수만에 그치는 것이 아니고 대상 업체가 지시하는 바에 따라 소정시간 근로를 제공하고, 그 대가로 일정액의 금품을 지급받으며 더욱이 소정시간 외의 근무에 대하여는 근로기준법에 따른 시간외 근로수당을 지급받기로 하는 것이고, 이에 따라 당해 외국인이 대상 업체의 사업장에서 실질적으로 대상 업체의 지시·감독을 받으면서 근로를 제공하고 수당 명목의 금품을 수령하여 왔다면 당해 외국인도 근로기준법 제14조 소정의 근로자에 해당한다.

【참조조문】

근로기준법 제14조

【참조판례】

대법원 1991. 7. 26. 선고 90다20251 판결(공1991, 2242), 대법원 1991. 12. 13. 선고 91다24250 판결(공1992, 507), 대법원 1992. 6. 26. 선고 92도674 판결(공1992, 2324), 대법원 1995. 9. 15. 선고 94누12067 판결(공1995하, 3416)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,380자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고,피상고인】

【피고,상고인】 근로복지공단

【원심판결】 대구고법 1994. 12. 29. 선고 94구2740 판결

【주문】

상고를 기각한다. 상고비용은 피고의 부담으로 한다.

【이유】 상고이유를 본다.

1. 민법상의 고용계약이든 도급계약이든 계약의 형식이 어떠하든지 간에 실질에 있어 근로자가 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 사용자에게 근로를 제공하였다면 그는 근로기준법 제14조 소정의 근로자에 해당한다 할 것이므로( 당원 1991. 7. 26. 선고 90다20251 판결, 1991. 12. 13. 선고 91다24250 판결, 1992. 6. 26. 선고 92도674 판결 등 참조), 산업기술연수사증을 발급받은 외국인이 정부가 실시하는 외국인 산업기술연수제도의 국내 대상 업체에 산업기술연수생으로 배정되어 대상 업체와 사이에 상공부장관의 지침에 따른 계약서의 양식에 따라 연수계약을 체결하였다 하더라도 그 계약의 내용이 단순히 산업기술의 연수만에 그치는 것이 아니고 대상 업체가 지시하는 바에 따라 소정시간 근로를 제공하고, 그 대가로 일정액의 금품을 지급받으며 더욱이 소정시간 외의 근무에 대하여는 근로기준법에 따른 시간외 근로수당을 지급받기로 하는 것이고, 이에 따라 당해 외국인이 대상 업체의 사업장에서 실질적으로 대상 업체의 지시·감독을 받으면서 근로를 제공하고 수당 명목의 금품을 수령하여 왔다면 당해 외국인도 근로기준법 제14조 소정의 근로자에 해당한다 할 것이다.

2. 원심은 그 채택 증거 등에 의하여 원고 경영의 염색가공업체로서 산업재해보상보험 가입업체인 ○○염공사에 산업기술연수생으로 배정된 한국계 중국인인 소외인이 원고와 사이에 그 판시와 같은 내용의 계약을 체결하고, 위 ○○염공사에서 그 판시와 같은 근로를 제공하여 온 사실을 인정하였는바, 기록과 대조하여 살펴보면 원심의 이와 같은 사실인정은 정당하고, 원심이 인정한 원고와 위 소외인의 계약내용이나 위 소외인이 제공한 근로의 실질관계에 의하면 위 소외인은 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 원고에게 근로를 제공한 것이 명백하여 근로기준법 제14조 소정의 근로자에 해당한다 할 것이고, 따라서 위 소외인이 위 ○○염공사에서 그 판시와 같이 작업을 하던 중 화상을 입었다면 위 소외인은 이와 같은 업무상의 재해에 따른 산업재해보상보험법상의 보험금을 지급받을 권리가 있다 할 것이므로 같은 취지의 원심의 판단 또한 정당하다 할 것이다.

논지는 모두 이유 없다.

3. 그러므로 상고를 기각하고 상고비용은 패소자의 부담으로 하기로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 이용훈(재판장) 박만호 박준서(주심) 김형선

Related statutes

Similar cases

Cases with high content similarity to this one.

#1
2016구합1145 · 인천지방법원 0001-01-01
산업재해보상보험급여액 징수처분등
#2
2018구단101262 · 대전지방법원 0001-01-01
산업재해보상보험급여액 징수처분취소 청구의 소
#3
2012구합2519 · 창원지방법원 0001-01-01
산업재해보상보험료부과처분취소등
#4
2010누40139 · 서울고등법원 0001-01-01
산재보험급여액징수금부과처분취소
#5
2010구합4001 · 광주지방법원 0001-01-01
보험급여대체지급부지급처분취소청구의소

Cases citing this decision

2006다53627 · 대법원 2006-12-07
Wages
2005다50034 · 대법원 2005-11-10
Wages (Foreign Industrial Trainee Case)
95누13432 · 대법원 1996-07-30
Revocation of Disposition Denying Survivor Benefits (유족급여등부지
96도732 · 대법원 1996-07-30
Violation of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법위반)
95다20348 · 대법원 1996-04-26
Severance Pay (퇴직금) Case

Related tools & guides

AI answers need an account (free accounts: 2 per month) — submit and you'll return to this question after logging in. Search and case reading stay free.

Cross-check the original: 국가법령정보센터 (auxiliary link)