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Biz News Korea(Eng)
Lotte Mart set to compensate victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants
- Collected
- 2016.04.19
- Distributed
- 2016.04.21
- Source
- Go Direct
Lotte Mart president Kim Jong-in apologizes before journalists
In a press conference held on Monday, Lotte Mart president Kim Jong-in said "We deeply apologize to the families of the victims for the pain and anguish we caused regarding ‘Wiselect’ humidifier disinfectants."
In 2011, Korean health authorities announced that toxic humidifier disinfectants killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. Lotte Mart distributed the disinfectants under its brand of Wiselect from November 2006 to August 2011.
“We sincerely apologize for not be active in determining the cause of the incident and addressing the case despite news reports some humidifier disinfectants were problematic and there were victims due to such products after August 2011,” he added.
According to Kim, Lotte Mart will form an organization responsible for compensation programs before ongoing law enforcement investigations will come to an end. The company is due to raise some 10 billion won ($8.7 million) as a compensation budget that will be paid to eligible victims.
Kim emphasized the company will have meetings with the families of the victims whose damage is proved conclusively to have been caused by Lotte Mart’s humidifier disinfectants.
Lotte Mart had manufactured and distributed humidifier disinfectants that contained polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) from 2005. Health authorities pointed out the material is the cause of unknown pulmonary disease that resulted in deaths in 2011. It is the same ingredient as that contained in Oxy Reckitt Benckiser’s Oxy Ssak Ssak that caused most victims.
By Sohn Il-seon, Cho Sung-ho
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]