Labor ministry refutes reports on Samsung leukemia talks

By Lee Min-hyung

The labor ministry officially denied Associated Press (AP) reports on its role in Samsung Electronics’ compensation plan for workers who became sick at the workplace.

The years-long dispute involves former Samsung Electronics employees who developed incurable diseases, such as leukemia and other forms of cancer, after working at the firm’s chip and display-manufacturing plants.

The U.S.-based news agency reported Wednesday that Korean authorities, “at Samsung’s request,” have withheld from workers and their bereaved families crucial information about chemicals they were exposed to at the factories. Victims need the information to seek compensation from the government.

AP released another article Friday that stated the Ministry of Employment and Labor is “taking the report seriously.”

But the ministry claimed that the Friday report does not “fully reflect” its position, and it only highlights some controversial parts.

“The labor ministry is following legal steps to settle the issue, and we explained our detailed stance to the agency,” said Ko Dong-woo, a labor ministry official. “But our detailed explanation was left out from the report which only highlighted that ‘the ministry takes the article seriously.’”

Samsung Electronics had previously agreed with Banolim, a group representing affected former Samsung workers and their families, over establishing an independent ombudsman to determine exact terms of compensation.

On Friday night, Samsung Electronics also announced its official position over the issue.

The company said in its online news room: “AP reports that Samsung did not provide crucial information for victims because of trade secrets are unilateral claims by Banolim.”

“That’s why we formed the third-party ombudsman in this June,” it added. “We express our regrets over the reports that came at a time when both parties reached an agreement to settle the issue. We request more accurate reports for an amicable settlement.”