South โคKorea to Expedite Benefits for Work-Related Illnesses,Bolsterโ Investigation Capacity
Seoul,South Korea – Workers in South Korea diagnosed with occupationally-linked diseases will soon see a substantially faster path to benefits,as the Ministry of Employment andโฃ Labour (MOEL) moves to streamline procedures and enhance its investigative capabilities. The changes, announced today, aim to address longstanding concerns about delays โขin recognizing and compensating for work-related illnesses, especially musculoskeletal disorders, occupational cancers, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.Currently, establishing a causal โlink between a disease and a worker’s job can be a lengthy โprocess. The MOEL is shortening the estimation application period โfor occasional diseases from seven months toโข four months and simplifying procedures when such relationshipsโค are officially recognized. These improvements come โafter recent decisions to disapprove claims prompted a review of existing buisness procedures. The ministry also plans to introduce a national electionโ system for disaster workers starting next year.
To strengthen disaster investigation, MOEL will establish dedicated organizations and increase manpower. Sixty-four regional headquarters andโ branches will โfocus on musculoskeletal diseases, while a single Seoul headquarters โขunit will handle occupational cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases – โconditions representing the majority of current applications. Mandatory training courses โfor Industrial Accidentโ Insurance Disaster Survey Experts (CIE) will be implemented to improve professionalism and recruitment.Further accelerating the process,the ministry is developing an AI system leveraging accumulated industrial โaccident judgment data to provide guidelines for future โcases.”This measure responded to the voices of workers who have been inconvenient due to delayed industrialโ accidents,” stated minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon. “We will do our best to play theโข role โof the system of ‘rapid and fair industrial accidents,’ the โขmost crucial value of the Industrial accident Compensation Insurance Act.”