The government and 15 companies involved in the humidifier disinfectant disaster are collaborating to secure stable funding for compensation to victims. On October 8, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that it will sign a "Humidifier Disinfectant Compensation Implementation Agreement" with the companies, including Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, SK Chemical, SK Innovation, and Aekyung Industrial, at the Coal Center in Jongno, Seoul.
This agreement is designed to ensure that both the government and the companies fulfill their compensation responsibilities in line with the implementation of a comprehensive amendment to the special law for victim relief. The companies have committed to diligently pay their share of the compensation, while the ministry will work to secure government funding.
In the event of disagreements regarding the contributions, the parties will first seek resolution through a consultative body. Both sides will also collaborate to establish a chemical safety net covering the entire cycle from raw materials to product disposal to prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future.
Starting today, a new state-led compensation system will also be implemented. When victims apply for compensation, the Health Damage and Loss of Labor Committee, under the Prime Minister, will investigate health impacts and loss of productivity before making final decisions on compensation eligibility and amounts.
Victims approved for compensation can choose to receive the payment in a lump sum or to receive an initial amount excluding future medical expenses, with ongoing payments for treatment costs. Those who have been receiving existing relief payments will continue to receive them until the compensation is disbursed.
Applications for compensation will be accepted from October 8 until April 7 of next year, a six-month period. Individuals already recognized as victims will be considered to have applied for compensation on the law's effective date, but they must submit relevant documents separately.
The Compensation Review Committee will be established by the end of this month, and detailed compensation standards and guidelines will be released within the year. Individual compensation reviews will begin next year.
The ministry plans to estimate the total compensation amount based on the established standards and impose individual contributions on the companies in the first half of next year.
According to data released by the government in May, of the 8,065 applicants for humidifier disinfectant damage, 6,011 had been recognized as victims by that time. Following the Supreme Court's acknowledgment of government responsibility in related cases in June 2024, the government announced a comprehensive support plan to transition to a state-led compensation system last December, which is now being implemented through this special law amendment.
During the signing ceremony, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Seong-hwan expressed, "I sincerely apologize once again to the victims and their families who have suffered for a long time due to our failure to protect the lives and safety of the public. The government will do its utmost to ensure that the compensation process is swift and transparent as a responsible party in this matter."
He added, "The primary goal of today's agreement is to alleviate the concerns of victims regarding potential delays in compensation. We must adhere to the principle that compensation for victims should never be delayed, resolving any disagreements through mutual consultation within the consultative body."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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