Labor law violation lawsuits, which had been quiet for a while in the Korean restaurant industry in Southern California, are resurfacing. This time, Sun Nong Dan, a 24-hour Sun Nong Dan specialty restaurant operating at four locations in Southern California, including Koreatown in LA and La Habra Heights, has been hit with multiple lawsuits from former employees alleging labor law violations. Some of these cases have escalated into class-action lawsuits representing other workers, drawing significant attention from the Korean restaurant industry.

According to lawsuit documents made public by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, in April 2024, three Korean individuals—identified as Moon, Kwak, and Choi—filed a complaint against the LA and La Habra Heights locations of Sun Nong Dan in LA County Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges 14 violations, including unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, meal and rest break infringements, failure to provide accurate pay stubs, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and unfair competition. The plaintiffs are seeking special damages exceeding $600,000, general damages over $750,000, punitive fines, and attorney fees.

In May of the same year, a former employee of a different ethnicity filed another lawsuit against Sun Nong Dan. Most recently, on June 4, 2025, a class-action lawsuit was filed with another employee of a different ethnicity as the lead plaintiff. These lawsuits similarly claim that the company violated labor laws by failing to pay minimum wages and overtime, denying meal and rest breaks, providing inadequate pay stubs, withholding expenses, and engaging in unfair business practices.

The U.S. Department of Labor is also taking strong action. Last year, the federal agency successfully pursued a lawsuit against a Korean restaurant in Michigan for unpaid overtime and tip violations, securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. In 2023, Korean restaurant owners in Las Vegas and LA also faced lawsuits from the Department of Labor, resulting in fines and damage awards.

By Sehee Roh