Social Disaster Special Investigation Committee: "Humidifier Disinfectant Special Act Must Be Processed Promptly"

On the morning of the 13th, victims of the humidifier disinfectant incident appealed for the passage of a bill at the National Assembly Press Hall in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Special Investigation Committee on the Humidifier Disinfectant Incident and the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster (Special Committee) urged the National Assembly on the 16th to pass the amendment to the "Special Act on Relief for Victims of Humidifier Disinfectants," which is currently pending.

The Special Committee held a press conference at its office in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "The amendment to the Special Act is the result of the victims' pain and desperate cries," and emphasized, "The National Assembly must pass the amendment to the Special Act within the 20th National Assembly session."

The Special Act was enacted in February 2017 with the purpose of providing prompt and fair relief to victims of the humidifier disinfectant disaster. However, the scope of recognized diseases under the law has been criticized as excessively narrow, and issues such as discrimination among victims due to the separation of the 'relief account' and 'relief benefits' have been pointed out. The Special Committee has insisted that the range of recognized diseases should be expanded and that relief benefits and relief accounts should be integrated and expanded into a special fund to strengthen practical support.

An amendment that places the burden of proving the causal relationship between humidifier disinfectant exposure and diseases on companies was proposed and submitted to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 9th for review but the decision was deferred.

The Special Committee criticized government ministries such as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, stating, "If the government issues negative opinions that block the passage of the Special Act amendment at a time when its passage is imminent, it forgets that the government itself is the entity responsible for resolving the disaster."

The Ministry of Justice opposes the provision requiring companies to prove the causal relationship between humidifier disinfectant exposure and diseases. It also opposed the clauses allowing additional contributions to be collected from companies if relief benefits are insufficient and ordering companies to submit data, citing the absence of related regulations and the need to protect corporate trade secrets. The Ministry of Economy and Finance expressed the opinion that the establishment of disability benefits is similar in nature to nursing care living allowances, and that the promotion of memorial projects is inappropriate as it involves government support for victims' memorials caused by illegal acts of companies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.