Chungbuk Education Office gives 19 million won condolence payment to lung cancer victim recognized as fallen worker

The Chungbuk Education Office has paid 19 million won to the family of Lee Young-mi, a school kitchen worker whose death from lung cancer was recognized as a work-related death.

Lee worked as a kitchen employee in schools and kindergartens in areas including Eumseong from November 2009 until September 2024. After receiving approval for industrial accident compensation in March 2022, she underwent treatment and later died from lung cancer and respiratory failure.

South Korea’s Public Officials Accident Compensation Deliberation Committee recognized her death as a death in the line of duty on August 28 last year. She was the first school kitchen worker among education-sector employees affiliated with metropolitan and provincial education offices to receive that recognition.

The Chungbuk office later added a clause to its collective agreement with the National School Non-Regular Workers’ Solidarity Conference. The clause provides a special condolence payment equal to 10 months of basic salary to the families of workers whose deaths receive official recognition as work-related.

Chungbuk Superintendent of Education Yoon Gun-young expressed condolences to Lee’s family and said the office would work to protect the lives and safety of everyone working in education.

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I offer my condolences for the kitchen worker and my sympathy to the bereaved family. I will work to protect the lives and safety of everyone working in education.