SEOUL, South Korea - Samsung Electronics Co. has suspended business ties with a Chinese supplier that allegedly hired children. The world's biggest smartphone maker said in its blog Monday that it had found possible evidence of child labor and illegal hiring at Dongguan Shinyang Electronics Co.
Samsung said last week it would urgently look into the Chinese supplier following a New York-based watchdog's report that it hired at least five children under the age of 16. China Labor Watch said children as well as minors under 18 worked at Shinyang for three to six months to meet production targets during a period of high demand. The report detailed 15 labor violations discovered during its undercover investigation. China Labor Watch's report came shortly after Samsung said its audit found no child labor at hundreds of Chinese suppliers. Samsung began inspecting its Chinese suppliers after the labor watchdog raised the child labor issue in 2012. Samsung said Chinese authorities are investigating the case and if child labor is confirmed, the South Korean firm will permanently stop doing business with Shinyang.