[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] An administrative adjudication result was announced on the 26th stating that if a worker contracted pneumoconiosis while performing drilling and cutting work in the rock mining or crushed stone extraction industry and received a disability rating, pneumoconiosis disaster consolation money must be paid.
Previously, Mr. A performed drilling and cutting work using a drilling machine at a quarry engaged in rock mining or crushed stone extraction from 1992 until January of last year, and was diagnosed with pneumoconiosis and received a disability rating.
Mr. A applied for pneumoconiosis disaster consolation money from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, but the Service refused to pay, stating that Mr. A "cannot be considered to have engaged in dust work at one of the eight major mining businesses to which the Pneumoconiosis Prevention Act applies."
Pneumoconiosis disaster consolation money is consolation money paid to workers who have been rated for pneumoconiosis disability under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act. It applies to those who have engaged in dust work at mining businesses among the eight major mining industries or other mining industries where workers who retired after receiving disability benefits for pneumoconiosis under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act were employed.
Accordingly, Mr. A filed an administrative adjudication request with the Central Administrative Adjudication Committee, which ruled that the refusal by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service to pay the pneumoconiosis disaster consolation money was illegal and ruled in favor of Mr. A.
The Central Administrative Adjudication Committee judged that ▲ rock mining and crushed stone mining fall under mining, and ▲ since there were other retired workers at the workplace where Mr. A worked who received disability benefits for pneumoconiosis, it was a mining business subject to the Pneumoconiosis Prevention Act.
Additionally, the drilling work performed by Mr. A was considered dust work under the Pneumoconiosis Prevention Act, as it involved breaking, cutting, or processing rock.
Min Sungshim, Director of the Administrative Adjudication Bureau at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "This administrative adjudication has expanded the scope of rights protection for pneumoconiosis workers engaged in dust work at mining businesses beyond the eight major mining industries."
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