132, 68%, out of 195 of the Korean babies and mothers died

after using 3 European companies’ products of humidifier disinfectant,

At least 14 died after using Cefu product with Danish KeTox raw material

 

Manslaughter case of ‘Double Standard’ around biocide of daily life products

 

According to the Korean government’s first and second victim survey in 2014 and 2015 respectively, 146 have lost their lives out of 530 victims after using humidifier disinfectants, sterilizer in other word, which have been widely used in Korea for dry winter season since 1994. Korean government’s official investigation on this matter has been done in 2011 August and forced to recall all products in December.    

Majority of these victim have used more than two different products. Thus, 763 are injured and 195 are dead for counting per different products: 103 died after using British company Reckitt Benckiser’s product; 15 died after using British company TESCO’s Homeplus product; and 14 died after using Cefu, which imported their raw material from Danish company KeTox. Altogether, 132 have died – 68% of 195 lost lives. Nearly 7 out of 10 have died after using 3 European companies related products based on the government’s first and second victim survey. Third and 4^th round investigation cases are much more than the 1^st and 2^nd ones. European companies are strongly responsible for this case.

Since 2011 August when Korean government’s epidemiologic investigation results came out with 47.3 odds ratio, nearly 5 years have passed. Until recently all producers have denied their responsibility completely, but one by one began to accept the responsibility as the Korean prosecutor has found out evidences of the producers’ wrong doings such as intentional negligence of animal safety test, intentional negligence of consumers’ complaint, intentional negligence of safety information, and manipulated survey results done my producers, even bribe for the researchers.

-       On April 18^th, Lotte CEO apologized for the first time, one day before prosecutor began to call the producer’s directors for investigation.

-       On May 2^nd, CEO of Oxy, Reckitt Benckiser’s Korea branch, apologized 1 week after of the former CEO’s investigation by prosecutor.

-       On May 5^th, Yeyong and Dukjong did demos in front of Reckitt Benckiser’s Annual General Meeting in London, international media began to cover this issue like BBC, AP, Reuters and so on. Reckitt Benckiser CEO apologized to the 100 stakeholders.

-       A professor of Seoul National University was imprisoned for the reporting of manipulated and bribed by Reckitt Benckiser Korea.

In Korea since April 24^th a nationwide boycott movement against about 130 Reckitt Benckiser’s products has begun and escalating and spreading all over the country. Citizens and consumers are angry about this unbelievable manslaughter by the daily life product and producer’s intentional negligence of safety and health together with 5 years complete deny and ignorance of responsibility with lying and manipulation.

Some media report 30~50% market share has been dropped already. Particularly angry mothers initiate this boycott campaign to kick off Reckitt Benckiser from Korea and from the Earth. Environmentalists raise the issue of double standards issue that if RB tried to sell the humidifier sterilizer in Europe in 2001, then it must be impossible because of EU’s biocide product directives which regulation took into force in 1998. But RB and other 2 EU companies, British TESCO and Danish KeTox did not use of the EU biocide standards in Korea and they made unbelievably serious consumers deaths and injuries.  

We are dispatched here Copenhagen on behalf of victims and Korean civil society to inform and protest about the Danish KeTox issue:

-       Cefu, a humidifier disinfectant, has been sold mainly for the internet based selling with raw material, PGH, imported from the Danish company KeTox.

-       After 3-year business, all Cefu product has been recalled by Korean government since 2011 December. In 2012 Butterflyeffect, the Korean Cefu producer, was bankrupted.

-       Korean government’s 1^st round in 2014 and 2^nd round in 2015 investigation about 530 cases came out and 14 babies and pregnant women passed away revealed using Cefu humidifier disinfectant. Now 3^rd round and 4^th round investigation with over 2000 cases are under investigation.

-       An appeal letter blaming the Danish KeTox and asking to bring the related people to Korea for inestigation, has been submitted to the Danish Embassy in Seoul by victim group and environment groups in April 2016.

-       According to the Danish Ambassador in Seoul, early of 2012 Danish government, Environment Agency, ordered KeTox and another Danish conmany withdrawal of the all PGH from Danish market after getting the Korean government’s investigation through World Health Organization. KeTox got a fine by Danish policy for the problem of withdrawal. And in 2014/2015 KeTox was bankrupted.

-       The former CEO of Cefu production company, has been investigated by Korean prosecutor in April, 2016.       

‘Double Standard’ and ‘Intentional Negligence’ are the key words to explain this frustrated story majorly involved the 3 European companies. According to the expert on environment and health, around 10 million Korean consumers has been used these deadly products and more or less 20% of the uses exposed high dose and experienced health problem since 1994 and 2011. A massive victims including death cases will be unveiled additionally.  

Today we have 4 demand to Danish government and Danish civil society:

First, we ask official apology from Danish government on this tragedy involved Danish company.

Second, responsible people of KeTox and other relevant process of Cefu production should be investigated by Korean prosecutor.

Third, Danish government, prosecutor/police/foreign ministry/environ agency, should cooperate on this investigation on KeTox and others if any.

Fifth, Comprehensive and thorough survey and screening of all biocide products selling all over the country should be practiced in terms of safety and health.

We are going to raise this issue to European Union and United Nation in terms of environmental health disaster and human rights. European society should realize that 3 European companies are the major responsible manslaughter.   

These activities are supported by international environmental organization Friend of the Earth international, Friends of the Earth Britain, Friends of the Earth Denmark, industrial health organization Hazards, Netherland’s environmental organization Both Ends along with other European civil groups.

 

 

2016 May 9

 

Dukjong KIM, a father lost a 3-year-old son, a Korean government officer, fire fighter, contact (Korean); +82-10-4772-3197(Korean)

Yeyong CHOI, director of Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health, Ph.D. on environment and health, contact (English and Korean): +82-10-3458-7488, choiyy@kfem.or.kr

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Programs in Copenhagen on May 9^th:

-       09:30 Visit to the Korean Embassy in Copenhagen

-       11:00 Visit to Danish Environment Agency

-       13:00 Press conference and demo in front of Danish Parliament

-       14:00 Visit to Danish prosecutor

-       19:00 Meeting with Korean living in Denmark with candle program mourning 14 victims by Cefu made by Danish material

Danish speaking contact for this program: +45-2628-1708

We depart Denmark early morning of May 10^th to Korea.