Engineer's death recognised as 'industrial accident' in South Korea
The South Korean Supreme Court has recognised the death of a Samsung Electronics Co. engineer from leukemia as a workplace accident, according to reports.
The engineer, known only by his surname Jang, succumbed to acute myeloid leukemia in March 2015 after 14 years with the company.
He started his career at Samsung in 2001, working as an engineer in the software development group at the Suwon office. During his tenure, he was regularly exposed to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields from electric installations, a factor now confirmed by the court to have contributed to his illness.
The ruling followed an extended legal battle spearheaded by Jang's family and Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry (SHARPS), Yonhap News Agency reported.
The family had filed a suit against the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service to overturn the disapproval of survivor's benefits.
The Supreme Court decision ultimately sided with Jang's family, nearly nine years after his passing, to confirm the connection between his workplace environment and his leukemia diagnosis.
"We are glad the death could be recognised as an industrial accident, but it is hard to accept that it has to take such a long time," the family said in a statement quoted by Yonhap News Agency
