MOM investigating after 5 Korea Artiz Studio S'pore employees filed salary claims

Five employees of Korea Artiz Studio's Singapore outlet have filed salary claims between Aug. 10 and Aug. 18, and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is now investigating the wedding photography studio for possible offences under the Employment Act.

This is according to a joint statement by MOM, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), shared with Mothership in response to queries regarding the employees of the temporarily shuttered outlet.

Company failed to make CPF contributions by deadline

According to the statement, TADM received the five salary claims from Korea Artiz Studio employees over the nine-day period, and is arranging mediation between the parties.

Separately, the CPF Board said it had detected non-payment of CPF contributions when the company failed to make payment by the deadline in July 2026. It has since initiated prosecution action against the company, with the case currently before the courts.

MOM, CPF Board and TADM said they will continue to assist the affected workers with their salary and CPF arrears, and reminded employers of their obligations to pay salaries and CPF contributions on time.

Abrupt closure

On Aug. 19, the Singapore outlet of Korea Artiz Studio, a wedding photography studio founded in Busan in 2008, appeared to have abruptly ceased operations.

A notice pasted outside its studio along Bras Basah Road had cited internal operational issues, stating that employees had not received their outstanding salaries and that management had not given a clear response.

The closure came after the studio's Taiwan outlet shut down abruptly on Aug. 10. In Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said it received over 66 complaints from affected couples between Aug. 14 and Aug. 18, involving more than S$271,000 in prepayment losses.

According to its Google listing, the studio is listed as temporarily closed.

Recent Google reviews also showed a notice, which appeared to have been written by an employee, that had been pasted at the door of the studio at Carlton Hotel apologising to customers for the "unexpected situation".

"Due to recent internal operational issues within the company, all employees have currently not received their outstanding salaries. At the same time, we have been unable to obtain any clear or formal response, update, or further arrangements from the company's management," the notice read.

The notice further stated that the studio was unable to confirm or guarantee whether any scheduled services could proceed as planned at this time, adding that customers should avoid making a trip down to the studio until further notice.

Getting help

Employees in Singapore who are not paid their salaries on time can file a claim with TADM, which will help workers recover their salaries either through mediation or by referring the case to the Employment Claims Tribunals for determination.

Those who require assistance can contact TADM through its website.

Top image via Google, MOM/Facebook