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NHRCK Visits Mining Station
Date : 2007.05.30 00:00:00 Hits : 1562
Officials of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) visited Jangseong Mining Station and other locations in Jangseong, Gangwon Province on May 8 - 9 to examine the working environment and hear about the hardships of pneumoconiosis patients. The team included chairperson Kyong-Whan Ahn and standing commissioners Young-Ae Choi, Gang-Ja Chung, and Ho-Jun Kim. They visited the mine at Jangseong Mining Station, Taebaek Central Hospital, the Association of Pneumoconiosis Patients at Home, and the homes of pneumoconiosis patients. The officials entered the mine at Jangseong Mining Station and witnessed the working conditions of miners first-hand. They also heard the difficulties of pneumoconiosis patients by visiting a hospital as well as the homes of those patients and their families.
In a gathering with pneumoconiosis patients, the chairperson, three standing commissioners and about 30 members of the Association of Pneumoconiosis Patients at Home freely exchanged opinions. In the meeting, chairperson Ahn explained that the purpose of the visit was to direct attention to pneumoconiosis, a disease commonly contracted by miners who contributed greatly to the country's industrialization.
Pneumoconiosis patients took the occasion to lay bare their difficulties. Although the Act on the Prevention of Pneumoconiosis and Protection, etc. of Workers Suffering from Pneumoconiosis was enacted in 1984, the government has failed to implement the law effectively. Pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized for the first time are likely to remain in the hospital for extended periods of time. Despite the situation, they have little access to workmen's compensation unless they have certain complications. It was found that severe pneumoconiosis patients of grades 3 to 5 receive poorer treatment than patients hospitalized for minor complications.
Although pneumoconiosis is a major occupational disease, the current status of pneumoconiosis patients has yet to be clearly identified. At the gathering, the attendees opined uniformly that an accurate fact-finding survey must be conducted. Some also said that they were suffering severe financial hardship, arguing that minimum living expenses should be paid to financially-strained pneumoconiosis patients not accommodated in hospitals.
Chairperson Ahn explained that the purpose of the visit was to hear directly from pneumoconiosis patients since the officials did not previously have a clear understanding of their situation. He also said that the Commission should study the institutional problems presented to the delegation during this visit; difference between pneumoconiosis patients at home and at a hospital; and operational issues and inefficiencies regarding management of those patients, although the Commission does not have relevant authority itself. He added that in a situation where certain issues had been raised already, he would take a deep interest in and proactively examine those issues, when possible, in order to devise steps to build a public consensus on them based on investigations and so forth.

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