Newark, NJ—A Korean immigrant worker, Mr. Kyong Sok Kim, today received $8,000 in a settlement with Super King Sauna NJ, LLC (d/b/a King Sauna) for a year's overtime and liquidated damages.  Mr. Kim, 60, worked as a parking attendant at the Korean health and beauty spa in Palisades Park , which drew clientele from the tri-state area.  The New Jersey–Asian American Legal Project (NJ-AALP) sent a demand letter to King Sauna in January 2007 to reclaim Mr. Kim’s back wages and unpaid overtime.

            “This is a victory for all Korean Americans working in New Jersey ,” said AALDEF Equal Justice Works Fellow and NJ-AALP Director Alexander Saingchin. “The law requires that workers be paid the proper overtime pay. This settlement sends a message that we will help workers enforce their basic rights against employers who choose to take advantage of them.”

            As a valet for King Sauna, Mr. Kim worked five days a week for 75 hours a week and was paid in accordance with an agreed-upon base wage of $350 a week.  However, King Sauna’s agreement did not account for overtime, which is a violation of federal and state labor laws.  Mr. Kim was owed approximately $13,400 in overtime and liquidated damages.  King Sauna is a luxury bathhouse that charges a premium for its stress-relief services, and was recently reviewed in the New York Times.

            Mr. Kim found out about AALDEF and NJ-AALP through a Korean newspaper and sought legal assistance late last year.  Mr. Kim said, “I was extremely unhappy with how King Sauna treated me so I decided to look into what I could do about it.  I knew that I could trust the lawyers at AALDEF with my case because they know the American legal system very well and were very dependable and passionate about the cause.  I thought about other workers who are also underpaid and thought it was worth taking a chance.”

            The New Jersey–Asian American Legal Project (NJ-AALP) is an initiative of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) dedicated to addressing the unmet legal needs of Asian Americans in New Jersey . Although there are over half a million Asian Americans living in New Jersey , few resources are available to assist them in overcoming the cultural and linguistic obstacles they face when accessing legal services. NJ-AALP seeks to address this gap in legal services by providing community education and serving as a bridge to the legal system.   Individuals seeking assistance may contact the AALDEF NJ-AALP helpline at (888) 406-1555.