Just when it thought allegations of poor working conditions were grounded, Samsung has been accused by the South Korean government of running a chip plant that causes cancer.
The Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service claims that it was working at a Samsung Electronics factory that caused the breast cancer of a worker who died earlier this year. The woman had worked at the chip plant for five years, and the government agency has stated that there is a “considerable causal relationship” between her employment and the breast cancer. Korean officials explained:
“There was an exposure to organic solvents and radiation. The earlier the exposure is, the more likely the cancer is caused.”
The woman in question died in March, aged 36, three years after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She worked in a plant with no radiation detector, and was exposed to benzene and other carcinogens, according to the report. There are currently a number of other, similar cases under investigation in South Korea. [Associated Press]
Picture: opopododo/Flickr