Oxy CEO did not apologize sincerely for selling toxic humidifier sterilizer: victims

Bereaved family members and civic groups hold a news conference in front of the Korean unit of the British consumer goods company Oxy Reckitt Benckiser in western Seoul on May 11, 2016. (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — The representatives of victims who have become sick or lost their loved ones because of toxic humidifier sterilizers sold by a British consumer goods manufacturer denounced the company’s CEO on Wednesday for not apologizing sincerely.

Wrapping up a trip to London, Kim Duk-jong, whose five-year-old son died in 2009 due to an ill-defined respiratory disease, said Oxy Reckitt Benckiser CEO Rakesh Kapoor failed to show sincerity in his apology to the victims.

Kim, together with a civic activist Choi Ye-yong, had visited the British capital and Denmark to protest against companies that sold toxic humidifier disinfectants in South Korea. He and Choi left for Britain on May 4 and returned to Seoul early Wednesday.

“The Oxy CEO rebutted and rejected what has been revealed by the South Korean prosecution and merely attempted to justify what they did,” a group of civic organizations said in a press conference in front of Oxy Korea in Yeouido, western Seoul.

The CEO said he “profoundly regrets” and that he is “personally sorry” but did not answer when asked whether he apologizes to all the victims as the CEO, they said.

“I told (Kapoor) to come to South Korea and formally apologize before the victims as I did not come to receive a personal apology, but he did not answer the request too,” Kim said.

A bereaved family member (L) and a civic activist hold a news conference at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 11, 2016, after returning from a trip to London to lodge a protest with British firm Oxy Reckitt Benckiser over its toxic humidifier sterilizers. They demanded a bona fide apology from Oxy and compensation for victims amid suspicions that its products resulted in numerous deaths and illnesses here. (Yonhap)

Oxy is currently being probed by state prosecutors over its toxic humidifier sterilizers that have been cited for causing many deaths and illnesses. Oxy started selling its products here in 2001.

Korea confirmed 221 people as victims. Among them, 177 had used Oxy products. Out of 90 deaths, 70 are believed to have been caused by the Oxy products.

In early May, Oxy Korea CEO Ata Safdar made an official apology and vowed to fully cooperate with the Korean government in the ongoing investigation. Now the focus is on whether the company’s high-ranking executives approved the sales of its disinfectants while knowing the health risks.