Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education to Advance Compensation Payment for Cafeteria Workers with Work-Related Lung Cancer

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Ahn Min-seok) is pursuing a plan to pay compensation equivalent to damages to cafeteria workers who received work-related lung cancer approval after working in school cafeterias, without going through litigation.

On September 8, the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 33, Single Judge) ruled in a damages lawsuit filed by nine cooks who worked in school cafeterias for over 12 years and received work-related lung cancer approval, acknowledging the provincial offices of education in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, Busan, and North Gyeongsang provinces' insufficient preventive safety measures, including inadequate ventilation facilities, and ordered compensation of 10 million won per plaintiff.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education decided to take proactive payment to prevent cafeteria workers within its jurisdiction from having to undergo prolonged civil lawsuits for the same matter and to avoid wasting administrative resources.

The recipients of support are cafeteria workers in schools within the province who have received work-related lung cancer approval, and payment will be made at 10 million won per person based on the ruling standard from other provinces and cities. The Provincial Office of Education plans to secure funds through supplementary budget appropriation in the future.

The Provincial Office of Education plans to implement safety measures including improvements to cafeteria ventilation systems, modernization of cooking environments, provision of protective equipment and reinforcement of occupational safety and health education, as well as lung cancer prevention health checkups and follow-up management for those with findings.

Gyeonggi Provincial Superintendent of Education Ahn Min-seok stated, "It is only right for the Office of Education to extend a helping hand first so that cafeteria workers who became ill while working to provide healthy school meals do not suffer again through legal disputes," and added, "Gyeonggi Education will fulfill its responsibilities to the end in creating a safe cafeteria environment."