SK court sentences 14 over deaths linked to humidifiers
Print Edition
A South Korean court yesterday convicted 14 people over the sale of humidifier sterilizers linked to deadly lung injuries.
Among those convicted was a former head of the local unit of British consumer goods maker Reckitt Benckiser who was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Seoul Central District Court found the former executive, Shin Hyun-woo, guilty of criminal negligence for failing to inspect the safety of the product and allowing its sale, and false labeling it as safe, said a spokeswoman for Reckitt.
Two current employees of Reckitt Benckiser Korea, research and development head Cho Hanseog and R&D manager Michael Choi, were convicted of the same charges, as was former R&D head Kim Jingu. Cho and Kim were also sentenced to seven years while Choi received five years.
Reckitt Benckiser Korea, the company, was found guilty of false labeling and fined 150 million won (US$126,000).
“We hope the verdicts in the criminal case will mark another important stage in resolving the humidifier sterilizer issue,” said Reckitt spokeswoman Patty O’Hayer. She said Reckitt was taking action to prioritize safety across the company, whose other products include Durex condoms, Scholl foot products and Nurofen tablets.
The South Korean government said in 2015 that 92 people were believed to have died from causes related to humidifier sterilizer products, not all of them made by the Reckitt Benckiser unit.
Last May, the current head of Reckitt’s South Korean unit, as well as group chief executive Rakesh Kapoor, apologized and accepted responsibility.
The Oxy brand, which Reckitt acquired in 2001, was the market leader for the liquid sterilizers, which were used to keep the water in humidifiers clean during the dry Korean winters.
Of those sentenced yesterday, which also included employees from rival manufacturers and retailers LotteMart and Homeplus, several were charged with criminal fraud. All were found not guilty.
South Korean prosecutors opened a probe into the use of the products last year amid mounting pressure from the families of victims who said earlier offers of compensation by the firm were insufficient.
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