Compensation Applications for Humidifier Disinfectant Victims to Open Oct. 8

South Korea will begin accepting compensation applications from victims of humidifier disinfectants on Oct. 8, opening a six-month process under a revised special law.

The Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry announced the plan at a meeting with more than 100 victims in Seoul. The new system marks the first time the state and companies will jointly provide compensation. It differs from the previous relief program, under which the government used corporate contributions to cover part of victims’ medical costs.

Under the new arrangement, the state formally acknowledges legal responsibility and will pay damages, including consolation money, together with the companies. The government will establish a compensation support team and a review committee. The committee will propose standards, calculate compensation and decide individual payments. Once it sets the standards, a separate fund management committee will estimate the required resources and allocate contributions among the companies deemed responsible.

The state is expected to cover roughly 30% of the cost, with companies paying about 70%. The ministry sought funding for the 2027 budget based on that split. So far, 8,094 people have applied for government recognition of humidifier-related harm, and 6,037 have been recognized as victims. Officials expect applications from people beyond those already recognized. A 2022 mediation committee estimated maximum compensation at 942 billion won, leading the ministry to expect the final total could exceed 1 trillion won.

The process follows a Supreme Court ruling finalized in June 2024 that recognized government responsibility. The ministry later announced a comprehensive plan in December 2025 to replace relief with compensation. The scandal involved disinfectants sold from 1994 that caused lung damage. Victims began being reported in 2006, and a 2011 disease-control investigation confirmed a link between the products and lung injuries. The Environmental Health Citizens’ Center has said about 8.94 million people used the products and 950,000 suffered health problems. Among reported victims, 1,958 died, while 1,422 deaths were recorded among those officially recognized.

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The revised Special Act on Relief for Humidifier Disinfectant Damage will take effect on Oct. 8. From that day, the compensation process for victims involving the state and companies will begin.