Samsung offers “deep apology” after 56 workers contracted cancer from dangerous chemicals

Photo: TNW

Samsung has offered a “deep apology” and promised compensation to workers and their families after a documentary revealed that 56 of its employees contracted leukemia and other forms of cancer after coming into contact with dangerous chemicals at a Samsung plant. Several of the employees died as a result.

Samsung CEO Kwon Oh-hyun said: “Several workers at our production facilities suffered from leukemia and other incurable diseases, which also lead to some deaths. We should have settled the issue earlier. We are deeply heartbroken that we failed to do so and express our deep apology” …

A Seoul court found back in 2011 that the death of Samsung employee Hwang Yu-mi from leukemia as long ago as 2007 had a “high probability” of being caused by exposure to chemicals at a semiconductor plant in Suwon. A colleague of Hwang, Lee Suk-yeong, also later died from the same cause.

Via The Verge