Editorial New concept for occupational health development: 3 phases

Compensation for occupational diseases in Korea is rather generous in comparison with that in other developed countries with regard to cerebrovascular diseases, musculo-skeletal disorders and cancers1). However, there have been many disputes on compensation for diseases of workers such as leukemia and other rare diseases2, 3) in a semi-conductor industry and cardiovascular deaths in a tire manu-facturing industry4). Workers who have diseases which are known to be caused by occupational exposure or for which the cause is unknown, claim that their diseases were caused by occupational exposure: chemical substances, physical agents, long working hours, work stress, etc. Workers and their relatives believe that these diseases should be compen-sated because they were caused by occupational exposure. The belief is usually intensified when workers have use