Englishman in Seoul to fight against Oxy Reckitt Benckiser
Andrew Jensen stages a one-man protest in front of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser Korea’s office in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, calling for the company to take responsibility for the deaths of more than 100 consumers who used its humidifier disinfectant. / Yonhap
By Kim Se-jeong
Andrew Jensen, 54, from London, spent part of his vacation in Korea to protest against Oxy Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the Korea unit of the British company blamed for more than 100 deaths caused by its humidifier disinfectant.
He stood in front of the Korean office in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, for a one-man protest. Earlier that day, Jensen joined two of the victims’ families in front of the British Embassy in Seoul who requested a meeting with the British ambassador to Korea.
“They (RB) could have made amends a long time ago without any harm to their company. But, they’ve acted cowardly, unfair, and cruel way up until now. I hope this protest will shame them into changing their ways,” he told The Korea Times.
He also protested last week in front of the Government Complex in Seoul, calling for the Korean environment minister’s resignation.
The scandal surfaced in August 2011 when the government announced that the humidifier disinfectants caused the deaths of many pregnant women and children.
In early May, five years after the scandal, Oxy RB apologized to the victims and met with them face to face to discuss negotiations for compensation.
The motive for Jensen’s action was a meeting with Kim Deok-jong earlier this month in London. Kim, who lost his child to the Oxy RB product, visited the U.K. to protest at the head office. Kim met the RB CEO, Rakesh Kapoor, who said that he was sorry personally for what had happened.
“It wasn’t quite the company apology (I wanted),” Jensen said.
He said the scandal changed his perception of the company. “I’d certainly boycott these products.”
The world’s leading consumer goods producer reported its net income for 2015 at $2.52 billion.
He said the scandal has reached the British public. The BBC recently covered the scandal extensively. “People in the U.K. are beginning to hear about it as well,” he said, adding that the company will lose the trust of British consumers if it continues to act against their interests.
He shared his views about the Korean government.
“I’ve been married to a Korean for 16 years. I am interested in Korean social issues. We’ve been watching closely what happened at the Jeju naval base and the comfort women. In all of these things, you have an uncaring government acting against the interests of its population.”
Part of his inspiration comes from his wife, he said, who has been active about keeping the story of the Sewol ferry disaster alive in the U.K. She organized the screening of a film and a discussion earlier this month when the two victims’ families visited London.
“An activist is a person who feels so strongly about something that she or he wants to change things. In that sense, we are activists.”
More than 8 million people are believed to have used humidifier disinfectant products. So far, the government has recognized 530 victims, including 146 dead. Among the 146, 103 used the Oxy RB product.
In January, the prosecution began a full-scale investigation, arresting the former CEO and interrogating other former executives of the company. A boycott is also underway against Oxy RB.