Samsung Electronics Co. does not have to open its sensitive work environment-related information to the public after a South Korean court has ruled in favor of the company in a lawsuit filed by the tech giant against the government.

Suwon District Court on Thursday ordered Gyeonggi District Employment and Labor Office under the Ministry of Employment and Labor to cancel a decision to disclose information on Samsung Electronics’ working environment measurement division, processing, and operations location, siding with the company in a lawsuit raised by the company against the ministry.

The court cited a lack of strong proof that “people’s rights to know” of details about Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor processing, manufacturing process, and fundamental operation location is more important than the benefits of the profit-making plaintiff that should be protected from competitors.

The court added that it also took account of the trade, industry and energy ministry’s concern about any negative impact of the leakage of controversial and sensitive operational information not only on Samsung Electronics but also on the country’s economy.

Samsung Electronics launched the latest lawsuit early last year when its former semiconductor factory workers suffering from leukemia or lymphoma cancer as well as families of ex-employees who died from the diseases called on the company to hand over the company’s working environment report that could be used in proving a correlation between the work environment and the diseases.

A working environment report, drawn by a company, measures and evaluates the level of workers’ exposure to toxic substances at a workplace. The report must be submitted to the regional office of employment and labor every six months.

The employment and labor ministry decided to disclose part of the information on the report but Samsung Electronics filed for an administrative trial with the central administrative appeals commission and requested for cancellation of the ministry’s decision, citing confidentiality in the information that includes types and amount of toxic substances, measurement position, and toxic material removing technology. It also filed a lawsuit and requested for suspension of its execution.

The central administrative appeals commission accepted part of Samsung Electronics’ appeals in July last year, and ordered the ministry to disclose only part of the information.

By Ji Hong-goo and Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]