Partial Guilty Verdict for Former Ministry of Environment Staff in 'Humidifier Disinfectant Information Leak'... SCAI Demands Ministry of Environment Apology

On July 27 last year, Choi Ye-yong, Vice Chairman (second from the left), and others from the Jung-gu Social Disaster Special Investigation Committee announced the results of a detailed estimation study on the scale of damage caused by humidifier disinfectants. The committee estimated that among the population diagnosed with specific diseases related to humidifier disinfectants, approximately 14,000 people have died.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Special Investigation Commission on Social Disasters (SICSD) stated that "the Ministry of Environment must immediately apologize to the victims" following the Supreme Court's partial guilty verdict in a case where a former Ministry of Environment employee accepted bribes from a humidifier disinfectant company and leaked information.

On the 4th, the SICSD released a statement saying, "It is deeply regrettable that the Ministry of Environment, whose officials should lead in protecting victims, has yet to issue an official apology regarding the shocking incident in which a public official accepted bribes from the perpetrating company." The statement added, "We particularly note that this crime coincided with the enactment of the Special Act on Relief for Victims of Humidifier Disinfectant in 2017 and the active period of the SICSD in 2018," urging, "Even now, the Ministry of Environment must clearly demonstrate its determination to uncover the truth behind the humidifier disinfectant disaster."

Earlier, the Supreme Court's Third Division (Presiding Justice Lee Dong-won) overturned the lower court's ruling that partially acquitted Ministry of Environment official A, who was charged with leaking information, on the charge of bribery followed by unfair acts, and remanded the case to the Seoul High Court.

A, who worked in the Ministry of Environment's humidifier disinfectant response task force, is accused of receiving bribes worth approximately 2 million won from Aekyung Industrial between 2017 and 2019 and providing them with government documents. The leaked materials reportedly included the health impact assessment report on humidifier disinfectants and materials from the Ministry of Environment's National Assembly audit.

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