The government will enter into mediation procedures between Oxy Reckitt Benckiser (Oxy) and two victims who filed a compensation claim related to the humidifier disinfectant.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held its first NCP committee meeting for 2025 on the 25th and announced the results of the first evaluation review related to Oxy. The NCP committee decided to initiate mediation procedures regarding the complaint against the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) multinational enterprise guidelines related to Oxy.
Oxy manufactured and sold humidifier disinfectants from December 2000 to 2011, and in April 2011, following the first death, it ceased sales of the disinfectant. As of the end of last year, the number of recognized victims by the government reached 5,828.
Two domestic consumers filed a complaint against Oxy with the NCP committee in October last year, citing violations of human rights and consumer protection. The consumers noted that "after purchasing and using the humidifier disinfectant manufactured and sold by Oxy, we suffered serious injuries from the toxic substances in the disinfectant," and demanded an apology and compensation from Oxy.
The NCP committee, after reviewing the opinions and materials submitted by both parties, determined that there is a need to facilitate dialogue between the parties for problem-solving and concluded that it would be beneficial to move to the next step of mediation procedures.
The NCP committee plans to form a mediation committee with private commissioners and carry out mediation procedures based on voluntary participation from both sides. If both parties reach an agreement during the mediation process, the results will be announced, and if no agreement is reached, a final statement containing recommendations will be issued, concluding the case.
Additionally, the NCP committee reviewed a complaint investigation submitted by a British non-governmental organization concerning domestic exporting companies. The NCP committee decided to conclude the case, noting that there is not a significant need to proceed with further mediation procedures.
Meanwhile, the OECD multinational enterprise guidelines were established to encourage responsible management among multinational corporations, and they do not have legal binding force. Victims and stakeholders who suffer from violations of the guidelines can file complaints with the NCP for mediation.
According to the NCP committee, the first evaluation is a procedure to determine whether the NCP can facilitate dialogue between the parties and contribute to problem-solving, and it does not assess whether the respondent has violated the guidelines.