Vic restaurant underpaid backpackers $40k

A Korean migrant who opened a restaurant in Melbourne needs to back-pay more than $40,000 to four of his former staff.

Kevin Pak paid four overseas backpackers, from Korea and Japan who spoke limited English and required an interpreter, flat rates of $15 and $16 to work as kitchen hands and waiters at his 24 hour Russell Street restaurant.

Mr Pak told the Fair Work Ombudsman he was unaware of his workplace obligations as an employer and expressed "sincere regret" for the underpayments and cooperated with inspectors to ensure back-payments were made.