"Infected with COVID-19 While Working Abroad" ... First Occupational Disease Recognition

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] A worker who was infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while working at a Korean company overseas and then returned to Korea has been recognized for the first time as an industrial accident case.

According to the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KCOMWEL) on the 1st, Mr. A, who was infected with COVID-19 while working in the United States, was recently recognized as an industrial accident case after a review by the Occupational Disease Judgment Committee. Mr. A worked at a Korean company in the U.S., and upon returning to Korea, was diagnosed with COVID-19 during airport quarantine. He received hospital treatment and applied to KCOMWEL for industrial accident medical benefits.

Workers enrolled in industrial accident insurance are eligible for compensation if they suffer work-related injuries or illnesses during overseas assignments or business trips. This case is the first instance of a worker infected with COVID-19 while working abroad being recognized as an industrial accident. A KCOMWEL official explained, "If a worker is infected with COVID-19 while working and receives hospital treatment or is hospitalized, they can apply for medical benefits. Medical benefits are billed by the hospital to KCOMWEL, so the level of benefits may vary depending on the treatment period."

As of the 26th of last month, KCOMWEL has recognized 76 cases related to COVID-19 as industrial accidents, including healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and call center employees. To expedite compensation for work-related COVID-19 cases, the process was improved so that if the infection route can be confirmed through local government websites, epidemiological investigations can be omitted and decisions made promptly.

If the scope of work activities and the virus transmission route coincide, and it is recognized that the infection occurred during work without contact with infected persons in family, acquaintances, or the community, the disease can be acknowledged as work-related.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Non-healthcare workers investigated for COVID-19 as a work-related disease include ▲ quarantine officers at airports and ports ▲ employees who traveled overseas to high-risk countries (regions) such as China ▲ those who boarded the same flight as an infected person for business reasons ▲ those who had contact with infected colleagues during work ▲ and others who inevitably came into contact with infected patients during work.

If infected with COVID-19 while working, workers can submit an industrial accident medical benefits application to KCOMWEL with a medical certificate without company confirmation, and can request application assistance from designated industrial accident medical institutions, making the process convenient. Detailed information is available on the KCOMWEL website under the newly established section "Industrial Accident Application for COVID-19 Infection."

KCOMWEL Director Kang Soon-hee stated, "We will continue to strengthen the role of the labor welfare hub institution to ensure that Korean workers are protected from social risks wherever they work domestically or abroad, and to support rehabilitation so that they can successfully return to work after treatment."

Meanwhile, KCOMWEL will operate a "Period for Emphasizing Reporting of Industrial Accident Insurance Fraud" throughout September to actively respond to fraudulent claims.

Reports of industrial accident insurance fraud can be made through the Industrial Accident Fraud Reporting Center or the KCOMWEL website. The identity of the reporter is strictly confidential, and if fraud is confirmed, a reward of up to 30 million KRW may be given depending on the amount fraudulently claimed.

KCOMWEL has continuously worked to prevent and detect industrial accident insurance fraud through planned investigations, cooperation systems with related agencies, and preventive education. As a result, last year, 202 cases were detected, 11.2 billion KRW was recovered, and 26.8 billion KRW in insurance benefits were prevented from being fraudulently paid.

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