Before the private horse owners system was introduced in the horse racing industry in 1993, race horse grooms were directly employed by the Korea Racing Authority(KRA). Since then, horse owners contracted out the equine care and the management of stables to the barn managers who are self-employed. The barn managers then hire the race horse grooms through the individual employment contract. KRA does not have direct employment relationship with the race horse grooms, even though they work at the horse race parks owned by KRA.

The race horse grooms at the LetsRun Park(Horse Racing Park) Gyeongnam Busan have been exposed to dangerous working conditions and the exploitation of wages. The barn managers reportedly exploited workers' wages and abused their human rights.

The suicide of late Park Kyung-geun who was also an experienced equine massage therapist is allegedly related to the exploitative working conditions at the racing parks due to the indirect employment and humiliating treatment to the workers by the barn manager.

reported by Yoon Ja-eun
translated by Kim Sung-jin