South Korean film spotlights claims of sickness linked to Samsung plants

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/05/south-korean-film-claims-sickness-samsungSouthKoreanfilmspotlightsclaimsofsicknesslinkedtoSamsungplantsAnotherPromisemirrorsman's10-yearquestfortruthoverleukaemiadeathofdaughteremployedatelectronicsfirmJustinMcCurryinSeoulTheGuardian,Wednesday5February201418.54GMTAscenefromthefilmAnotherPromise,inspiredbyafather’sbattletofindoutaboutchemicalshebelieveskilledhisdaughter.Photograph:AnotherPromiseWhenhisteenagedaughterYu-milandedajobattheelectronicscompanySamsung,HwangSang-kiwasburstingwithpride.Yu-miwouldbringinenoughmoneytosupportherstrugglingfamilyand,shewashoping,itwouldpayheryoungerbrother'swaythroughuniversity.Butin2007,fiveyearsaftershebeganworkatoneofthesemiconductorplantsoftheSouthKoreanconsumerelectronicsfirm,Yu-midied,onthebackseatofherfather'staxiasherushedhertohospital.The23-year-oldhadbeendiagnosedwitharareformofacuteleukaemia20monthsearlier,adiseaseherfatherinsistswascausedbyherexposuretohazardouschemicalsattheSamsungplantinthecityofSuwon.Hwang'squesttoprovehisdaughterdiedfromaworkplace-relatedillnesshaspittedhimagainsttheworld'sbiggesttechnologycompanyandalargelytimorousSouthKoreanmedia."Ididn'tbelieveSamsungwhentheytoldmeYu-mi'sillnesscouldnothavebeencausedbyherdailycontactwiththosechemicals,"saidHwang,whosesuspicionswerearousedwhenhelearnedthatacolleagueofhisdaughterhaddiedfromthesameillness."Italkedtoexpertsandtookmyfindingstonewspapers,TVcompaniesandmagazines,buttheyallsaidthesamething,'youcan'tpossiblywinafightwithSamsung'."ButonThursdaythesilencesurroundingthecaseofYu-mi,anddozensofotherswhoclaimtheyfellillafterworkingatSamsungplants,willbepiercedbythenationwidereleaseofafictionalfilminspiredbyHwang'sdecade-longsearchforthetruth.Thefilm,AnotherPromise,isthefirstSouthKoreanmovietohavebeenfundedentirelybyprivatedonationsandcrowdfunding.About7,000peopledonatedaquarterofthefilm'stotalbudgetinexchangeforcinematicketsorDVDs,whiletherestofthefundscamefromotherprivateinvestmentsandthefilmmakersthemselves.Toavoidpossiblelegalactionthefilm'sproducersaltereditsoriginaltitlefromAnotherFamily–awellknownSamsungadvertisingslogan–whiletheon-screenelectronicscompanyiscalledJinsung.Thedirector,KimTae-yun,saidhewasinspiredtomakethefilmafterreadinganewspaperarticleaboutYu-mi'scase."Friendstoldmenottodoit,thatitwouldbedangerousformycareer,"hesaid."ButI'mnottheonedoingthefightinghere–thefamiliesare.Idon'tcareifI'mtacklingcontroversialorsensitivesubjects,becausethereshouldn'tbeanytaboosubjectsforfilm-makers."Yu-miandhercolleaguewerenotalone.About200workershavemadesimilarallegationsagainstSamsungandotherchipmakers,accordingtoSupportersfortheHealthandRightsofPeopleintheSemiconductorIndustry[Sharps].Ofthethree-dozenSamsungworkerswhofiledforcompensationthroughtheworkers'welfareservicelastyear,onlytwoweresuccessful,accordingtoLeeJong-ran,alawyerwhorepresentstechnologyworkerswhohavefallenill.MostofthesemiconductorindustryworkerswhoturnedtoSharpswereintheir20sand30swhentheyfellill.Morethan50havesincedied."WhenyouhavethatnumberofcasesitisclearthatthecasesofYu-miandtheotherworkerswerenotcoincidences,"Leesaid."Theworkerswerenevertoldwhatkindofmaterialstheywerehandling.EvenwhenlawyersaskedSamsungfordetailsaboutthechemicalstheyweretoldthatitwasacompanysecret."Thefamilies'campaigngotaboostin2011whentheSeouladministrativecourtsaidtoxicchemicalsatSamsungplants"hadcaused,oratleastexpedited"casesofcancerintwoworkers,includingYu-mi.Earlier,theKoreanWorkers'CompensationandWelfareService,agovernmentagencythatcompensatesworkersandleviescompaniestofundthepayouts,saidtherewasnoprovenlink.Thebodyhasappealedagainsttheruling.Inamorerecentcaseinvolvinga29-year-oldwomanwhodiedofleukaemiain2009,theSeoulcourtsaida"considerablecausalrelationship"existedbetweenherillnessandthefiveyearsshespentataSamsungmemorychipplant.Samsungisreluctanttopubliclycommentonthecaseandhasquestionedthefilm'sversionofseveralincidents,includingtheallegedharassmentofrelativesduringlow-keyprotestsoutsideitsSeoulheadquarters,andtheclaimsthatcompanyofficialsfollowedmembersoftheHwangfamilydayandnight.Companysourcespointedoutthattheincidenceofhaematologicalcancers,suchasleukaemia,inthesemiconductorindustry,waslowerthanthenationalaverageforSouthKorea.AccordingtoSharps,however,therareformofleukaemiathatafflictedYu-miandhercolleagueisfoundinonly4.2inevery100,000SouthKoreansagedbetween20and29."Protectingthehealthandsafetyofouremployeesis,andhasalwaysbeen,ourtoppriority,"SamsungsaidinastatementtotheGuardian."Assuch,wearedeeplysaddenedbythelossofformermembersoftheSamsungfamilyandareconcernedaboutthosewhoarebattlingillness."Samsungsaidthatindependentresearch,includingathree-yearreviewbytheKoreaOccupationalSafetyandHealthAgency,andastudybytheUSconsultingfirmEnvironInternational,hadfoundnocorrelationbetweentheworkplaceenvironmentandemployeeillness."Oursemiconductorfacilitiesabidebythehighestemployeeandenvironmentalregulationsworldwide,"thefirmsaid."WewillcontinuetoaffirmourcommitmentstomaintainingthehighestpossibleemployeehealthandsafetystandardsforeveryoneintheSamsungfamily."ThosereassurancesdonotimpressKimSi-nyeo,whosedaughter,HanHe-gyeong,wasdiagnosedwithabraintumourin2005,fouryearsaftersheleftherjobSamsung."Mydaughterinhaledalotofleadandorganicsolvents,"Kimsaid."That'swhyIamconvincedherillnessisrelatedtoherjob."Han,36,isnowinremissionbutwasleftpartiallyparalysedandverballyimpairedafterseveralroundsofbrainsurgery.Kimsaid:"IpromisedmydaughterthatIwouldn'tgiveupuntilIcouldprovethelinkbetweenherjobandherillness.PeopletoldmethattakingonSamsungwaslikethrowingeggsatarock,butthatjustmademewanttofightevenmore."WhenmydaughterwashiredbySamsungIthrewapartyandinvitedallofherfriends.ShewasworkingforthebiggestcompanyinSouthKorea,sowehadgoodreasontocelebrate.ButnowIknowthatSamsunglooksgoodonlyfromtheoutside.Inside,itisempty."HwangcontinuestodividehistimebetweendrivinghistaxiinSokcho,nearthenorth-eastborderwithNorthKorea,andattendingprotestsandmeetings100milesawayinSeoul.Herefusestocriticiseotherrelativeswho,facedwithincomelossandsoaringmedicalbills,haveacceptedSamsung'soffersoffinancialhelpinexchangefordroppingcompensationclaims.Buthesayshissilencecan'tbebought,eventhoughhislegalbattlecouldlastseveralmoreyearsandendinfailure."AfterIturneddownanofferofonemilliondollars,theybasicallyaskedmetonamemyprice,"hesaid."ButtherewasnowayIcouldtaketheirmoney,notwhenIknewthatotherfamiliesweresuffering."