Factory Operations Halted and Site Reorganized Following Bereaved Families' Wishes
Bereaved Families, KCTU, and Government Officials Request to Observe
Jeonju Paper announced on the 6th that it will conduct a reinvestigation of the accident site in accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family regarding the recent death of a young worker.
The reinvestigation is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on the 7th. Previously, Jeonju Paper halted factory operations for more than a week to reconstruct the site under the same conditions as on the day of the accident for this reinvestigation.
To ensure a fair investigation, the company informed the bereaved family, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the police, the Ministry of Employment and Labor officials, and media outlets about the investigation schedule and requested their attendance and observation.
The accident occurred around 9 a.m. on the 16th of last month while a regular employee of Jeonju Paper was conducting patrol duties to check the status of raw material receipt. The supervisor in charge of the patrol duties could not contact the deceased during the patrol and went to find him, discovering the deceased collapsed at the site. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately performed, followed by a 119 emergency call, and emergency treatment continued using an automated external defibrillator as instructed. Although the ambulance arrived and transported the collapsed employee to Jeonbuk National University Hospital, the employee was pronounced dead.
The autopsy of the deceased was conducted the day after the death, on the 17th of last month, at Jeonbuk National University Hospital. The initial autopsy results determined the cause of death as cardiac arrest due to cardiomegaly and myocardial infarction. The bereaved family, the Jeonbuk branch of the KCTU, local labor and civic groups, and progressive political parties claimed that the accident might have been caused by hydrogen sulfide leakage at the work site.
Hydrogen sulfide was not detected in the initial autopsy. Jeonju Paper stated that hydrogen sulfide measurements were taken at the workplace on the day of the accident and the following day, but none was detected. Additionally, at the request of the bereaved family, a special detailed reinvestigation was conducted twice on the 22nd and 23rd of last month, observed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and internal and external parties (including representatives from the Korean Federation of Trade Unions and the KCTU), which also confirmed no detection of hydrogen sulfide.
Currently, a detailed analysis of hydrogen sulfide residues in the deceased’s organs is underway through the National Forensic Service. Additional autopsy results are expected within a week.
Jeonju Paper emphasized, "The company had no issues pointed out during multiple police investigations and was aware of the initial autopsy results indicating cardiomegaly. Out of consideration for the bereaved family, we have refrained from disclosing information to the media and have spared no effort in providing additional support as requested by the family." They added, "Despite actively engaging with the bereaved family and requesting continuous meetings and negotiations, the KCTU, not the Korean Federation of Trade Unions to which the deceased belonged, has delayed and obstructed negotiations on behalf of the family, causing delays in uncovering the truth and mourning the deceased. The Jeonbuk branch of the KCTU is focusing solely on a 'witch hunt,' portraying the company as a malicious corporation to expand its influence rather than respecting the family's grief."
Jeonju Paper stated that it will sincerely cooperate with all investigations conducted by the government and related agencies regarding this accident and will do its utmost to clarify the cause of death without any suspicion through the reinvestigation and subsequent fact-finding efforts.
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