Kim Tae-sun says apology letter not enough; workers also requested as witnesses

Ahn Ho-young calls for probe of other workplaces; Park Ji-hye demands measurement records

Members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union hold a press conference calling for a work-suspension order against DN Automotive. [Yonhap]
Members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union hold a press conference calling for a work-suspension order against DN Automotive. [Yonhap]

Allegations that DN Automotive deceived workers by administering lead-flushing injections under the guise of "vitamin shots" came under scrutiny at a national audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers called for the company's chief executive to appear as a witness and asked the ministry to investigate whether similar injections had been administered at other workplaces handling lead.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Tae-sun, speaking at the audit of the ministry by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, urged that DN Automotive's CEO be summoned as a witness and that affected workers be called to testify to get to the bottom of the matter.

Kim said lead levels more than five times the legal limit had been detected on the factory floor, and that workers had repeatedly received so-called chelation injections to flush heavy metals from their bodies. Some workers believed the shots were vitamins, and some had received them dozens of times, he said, criticizing the company for managing its numbers by using workers' bodies rather than protecting their health.

He said workers had pleaded that they feared they "won't live long at this rate" and felt like they were "selling their health for money." Regarding the company's release of an apology letter in the CEO's name, Kim said the matter could not be closed with a single letter and that the reasons behind the repeated incidents must be fully explained.

Lawmaker Ahn Ho-young called for the probe to be expanded to other workplaces, saying the allegations of chelation injections administered just before mandatory health screenings undermined not only the credibility of those examinations but the entire occupational safety and health system.

Ahn asked the ministry to investigate and report whether similar injections had occurred at other battery manufacturing facilities, workplaces handling lead, and companies subject to mandatory health screenings.

Demands for documents to assess the quality of workplace environment measurements and establish accountability followed. Lawmaker Park Ji-hye called on the ministry to submit all of DN Automotive's regular workplace environment measurement reports, raw measurement data, sample analysis results, measurement records and detailed measurement findings.

For the measurement agency that received a three-month suspension of operations for shoddy work, Park also requested supervisory and disciplinary records, past reports it had produced, and its full disciplinary history — saying the ministry should verify whether the agency had conducted similarly flawed measurements at other workplaces and draw up remedial measures. She also called for the submission of data related to workers' health.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Monday it had conducted a safety and health inspection and detailed workplace environment measurement at DN Automotive's Ulsan factory, uncovering 68 violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, referring the cases for indictment and imposing a fine of 46.2 million won ($34,600). The ministry also referred the company to police on charges of obstruction of business, finding that administering chelation injections just before mandatory health screenings had interfered with the government's health-protection measures; the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency is investigating the case.

The ministry also launched a planned inspection of 14 other battery manufacturing facilities of the same type. The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency said it would conduct a group epidemiological study covering all current and former workers, including retirees, to determine the health effects of lead exposure.

"The National Assembly cannot turn a blind eye when workers are crying out that they lost their health on the job," Kim said, urging ruling and opposition parties to cooperate in securing witness appearances to uncover the truth.


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