South Korea Rules Samsung Plant Caused Woman's Cancer
Woman's family will receive an undisclosed amount in compensation.
A South Korean government agency has ruled that a Samsung plant located in South Korea caused a former employee to develop cancer. The Associated Press cites a branch of the labor ministry as saying the woman who developed breast cancer after a five-year stint at a Samsung plant was exposed to organic solvents and radiation.
The women, referred to only by her last name, Kim, started working at Samsung in 1995 when she was 19-years-old and left the company in the year 2000. She developed breast cancer several years later and died this past March having lived with the disease for three years. According to the AP, the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, the government agency responsible for the ruling, said there was a "considerable causal relationship" between the Ms. Kim's cancer and her five years of work the semiconductor plant outside of Seoul.
The plant Ms. Kim worked at is said to have had no radiation detector. While working there, she was reportedly exposed to benzene as well as other carcinogens. It's thought that this ruling will be good for other sick employees with pending lawsuits. Ms. Kim's family will receive monetary compensation following the ruling.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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A Bad Day For those who try to explain that the cancer was not caused by the workplace because of several years of delay...Reply
Carcinogens increase the risk of cancer, but do not cause it immediately. Sometimes you get lucky and you don't get any cancer. Sometimes you get not so lucky and get it several years later. Sometimes it comes very quickly and brutalizes your body (usually very high dosage and/or weak immune system). -
halcyon Unfortunately, this is not not surprising in the least. ...glad this is getting some publicity and hopefully not only with the woman be well compensated but Samsung will be forced to correct the issues. There's no excuse, disregard for employee's health and safety isn't acceptable at Foxconn and it sure as hell isn't acceptable for Samsung either.Reply
Now, Samsung, get working on my Galaxy Note III please. -
dns7950 Totally retarded. She used to work at Samsung, then got cancer, so Samsung is responsible?? I held an iPhone once, and now it hurts when i pee! I think Apple owes me some money....Reply -
A Bad Day dns7950Totally retarded. She used to work at Samsung, then got cancer, so Samsung is responsible?? I held an iPhone once, and now it hurts when i pee! I think Apple owes me some money....Reply
Yeah, sorry, but I don't think iPhones emit large quantities of benzene and other fun stuff for you.
(Large quantity: May still be low atmospheric concentration, but high enough to cause some concern.) -
mesab66 "no radiation detector"....."exposed to benzene as well as other carcinogens"Reply
I suspect she will not be alone in taking action.
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Maxx_Power dns7950Totally retarded. She used to work at Samsung, then got cancer, so Samsung is responsible?? I held an iPhone once, and now it hurts when i pee! I think Apple owes me some money....Reply
You are missing the establishment of a causal link. She worked with chemicals KNOWN to promote cancer via mutations.
Your cell phone is KNOWN only to cause an addiction to Apple and a gradually emptying wallet. -
house70 dns7950Totally retarded. She used to work at Samsung, then got cancer, so Samsung is responsible?? I held an iPhone once, and now it hurts when i pee! I think Apple owes me some money....nah, most likely your addiction to porn caused it...lolReply -
stygian I thought Apple had a patent on a "manufacturing facility which facilitates the horrible existence and early demise of the workers therein". Apple should sue! As long as they get that "engineer" from the first trial on the jury they'll win. Another 9 figures in the bank the easy way!Reply -
house70 halcyonUnfortunately, this is not not surprising in the least. ...glad this is getting some publicity and hopefully not only with the woman be well compensated but Samsung will be forced to correct the issues. There's no excuse, disregard for employee's health and safety isn't acceptable at Foxconn and it sure as hell isn't acceptable for Samsung either.Now, Samsung, get working on my Galaxy Note III please.Unfortunately, exposure to increasing amounts of various carcinogens are part of modern life. This particular case is not an oddity, it just made this news forum because it had "Samsung" tied to it.Reply
Thinking about it: one case that comes to become public, even though there are dozens of people working in the same area. Hundreds working in the same field. Thousands working in the same cellphone manufacturing plants. This case came to attention because it got the attention it needed and the outcome it deserved. For each case like this there are hundreds that go un-noticed or un-solved.