Civil Servant Works Without Holidays, Suffers Cerebral Hemorrhage... "Must Be Recognized as a Veterans Compensation Recipient"

Decision of the Central Administrative Appeals Commission of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

An administrative adjudication ruling has been issued stating that it is unlawful to deny the causal relationship between a cerebral hemorrhage and official duties despite confirmation of excessive work records.

On the 3rd, the Central Administrative Adjudication Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission canceled the decision of the Veterans Affairs Office, which did not recognize the case as a work-related injury for a public official, despite confirmation of excessive physical and mental burdens that could clearly affect cerebrovascular function, such as continuous work without holidays before the cerebral hemorrhage occurred.

Mr. A, a local government official, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in April 2019 while working without taking holidays due to circumstances at his affiliated institution. The B Veterans Affairs Office denied the causal relationship, stating that Mr. A had no head trauma related to his duties, did not have excessive overtime hours to be considered overwork, and had risk factors for cerebral hemorrhage such as hyperlipidemia and drinking habits.

After investigating health checkup results and on-duty work records, the Central Administrative Adjudication Committee confirmed that Mr. A’s 2016 and 2018 health checkups showed drinking only three drinks once a week, total cholesterol slightly above the normal range, and blood pressure and blood sugar levels within normal ranges. Accordingly, it was judged that Mr. A’s work intensity and hours caused physical and mental burdens significant enough to distinctly affect normal cerebrovascular function, leading to the cerebral hemorrhage.

Park Jong-min, Chairperson of the Central Administrative Adjudication Committee of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, stated, “Public officials who contract illnesses while doing their best in their duties deserve appropriate treatment,” and added, “We will thoroughly review related laws and systems to ensure that those doing their best in their positions receive proper treatment.”