Prosecution Appeals 'Humidifier Disinfectant' Not Guilty Verdict for Former SK Chemicals and Aekyung Industrial CEOs

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-dong, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The prosecution has appealed the first-instance court's acquittal of former SK Chemical CEO Hong Ji-ho and former Aekyung Industrial CEO Ahn Yong-chan, who were tried for their involvement in the 'humidifier disinfectant' incident that caused numerous casualties.

On the 18th, the prosecution filed an appeal with the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 23 (Presiding Judge Yoo Young-geun) against the first-instance ruling that acquitted former CEOs Hong and Ahn, as well as former executives of Aekyung Industrial, SK Chemical, and E-Mart, who were indicted on charges including professional negligence resulting in death.

Former CEOs Hong and Ahn were prosecuted for selling humidifier disinfectants containing chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), which caused casualties. CMIT and MIT are different substances from polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) or oligo(2-(2-ethoxy)ethoxyethyl)guanidine (PGH), the raw materials of humidifier disinfectants for which some manufacturers’ officials were previously convicted.

At the time when the harmfulness controversy first arose in 2016, they avoided responsibility on the grounds that the toxicity of the substances was not clearly proven. However, as epidemiological research data on the harmfulness of CMIT and MIT accumulated and the Ministry of Environment submitted related research data, the prosecution reopened the investigation at the end of 2018 and indicted them in July last year.

In the previous sentencing hearing, the prosecution requested five years of imprisonment each for former CEOs Hong and Ahn. In addition, about ten officials from Aekyung Industrial, SK Chemical, and E-Mart were sentenced to between three years and six months to five years in prison.

However, on the 12th, the court acquitted all related parties, stating that "it is difficult to conclude that humidifier disinfectants containing CMIT and MIT cause lung disease or asthma."