Woong-jae Shin

Photojournalist

shinwoongjae.com

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Location: New York

Nationality: South Korean

Biography: Shin Woong-jae is a South Korean photojournalist base in New York and Seoul. He majored Linguistics and also studied Semiotics in Korea University in Seoul, South Korea before starting photography. His studies in semiotics led him to brand... read on

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Portraits of the deceased factory workers of Samsung Electronics and foods are set on the table for the memorial of the victims in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2013.

The victims' families and "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims hold the memorial ritual for the victims on every March 6th since 2008. The victims who worked in Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories died of critical disease like leukemia, cancer and brain tumor due to toxic chemicals they had handled during manufacturing processes. According to Banolim, 112 former semiconductor chip and display factory workers have died among 306 reported cases.

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Victims' families and a group of people attend the memorial ritual for the deceased former Samsung Electronics factory workers in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2013.

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Members of "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factory, hand over leaflets to pedestrians in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2014.

Members are wearing dust proof coveralls and masks which actual semiconductor factory workers obliged to wear inside of manufacturing facilities.

A picture of Hwang Sang-ki is seen on a board panel. Hwang Sang-ki is the very first person who started the struggle against Samsung Electronics right after his daughter's death in 2007. Hwang Yu-mi, a former Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory worker and a daughter of Mr. Hwang worked at Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory from 2003 to 2005 and died of leukemia in 2007.

After years of Mr. Hwnag's fight against Samsung and the government agency "COMWEL," Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service, Seoul High Court sentenced that Hwang Yu-mi's death was an industrial accident on Aug. 21, 2014. On the decision, Seoul High Court said: "There is a possibility that Hwang Yu-mi was exposed to toxic chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, sulfuric acid which are known to generate leukemia."

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Victims' families and members of Samsung General Labor Union hold protest in front of the Hotel Shilla which belongs to the Samsung group in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 28, 2013.

On this day, Samsung group had an executives gala dinner party at the hotel to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "Declaration of Shin Gyungyung(New Management Initiative)" by Lee Kun-hee, the head of the Samsung group. Lee Kun-hee also attended the party with her wife, Hong Ra-hee. The declaration of Shin Gyungyung(New Management Initiative), which is also known as "Frankfurt declaration" was made by Lee during the executive meeting in Frankfurt, Germany in 1993 as a part of his global tour. The most famous phrase of the declaration is "Change everything except your wife and kids." After the declaration, Samsung overhauled the whole group structure, strategies, and culture to become the best company in the world.

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Samsung Electronics S-Line semiconductor factory is seen at Samsung Giheung Campus in Giheung, South Korea on Mar. 17, 2014. The S-Line in Giheung Campus, the size of 29,270 square meter is the core of Samsung's semiconductor chip business.

Samsung started semiconductor chip business by acquiring "Hanguk(Korea) Semiconductor" from 1974 and developed 64K DRAM(Dynamic Random Access Memory) for the third time in the world after The United States and Japan in 1983. In 1992, Samsung Electronics developed 64MB DRAM for the first time in history. In July 2017, the company became the largest semiconductor chip maker in the world by overtaking Intel.

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A polaroid picture of Park Min-sook at her working place at 3-bay in Samsung semiconductor factory is seen on a table at her home in Yangpyung, South Korea on Nov. 12, 2013. The picture was taken by Min-sook's colleague on Dec. 7, 1995. Park Min-sook worked at Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory from 1991 to 1998. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, underwent surgery and is in the convalescent stage.

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Han Hye-kyung sits on a wheelchair on a corridor at Gang-won Rehabilitation Hospital in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Sep. 3, 2013.

Han Hye-kyung worked at Samsung Electronics LCD module line from 1995 to 2001, and her main job was applying solder paste on printed circuit board. She left the company in 2001 due to her health condition, and she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2005. Her doctor assumed the tumor had grown for at least six years judging from the size of it. After brain surgery, she got abasia, speech disorder, and visual impairment. Solder paste which might be the cause of her illness is hazardous and toxic if inhaled or exposed in the form of fume.

Samsung contacted Hye-kyung and her mother Kim Shi-nyeo and tried to conciliate them offering compensation pension with a non-disclosure deal in 2009. Instead of accepting the offer, the mother and the daughter applied for industrial accident compensation insurance and pension to COMWEL, Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service, and their case got rejected in 2010 due to a lack of evidence to prove Hye-kyung's illness is work-related. Hye-kyung and Shi-nyeo sued COMWEL in April 2011, and they lost the case in December 2013. They appealed the case in 2018 with more data and leading cases.

Hye-kyung and her mother Kim Shi-nyeo met "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory in 2008, and they together struggled against the company since then.

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Han Hye-kyung has lunch with help from Kim Shi-nyeo, her mother on her bed at Kangwon National University Hospital in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Mar. 7, 2013

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Han Hae-kyung is at a rehabilitation training session at Gang-won Rehabilitation Hospital, in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Aug. 21, 2013.

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A picture of Han Hye-kyung at 5 is seen at her home in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Oct. 31, 2013.

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Han Hye-kyung is in a rehabilitation training session in an indoor swimming pool at Chuncheon Sports Center for the Handicapped in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Oct. 6, 2015.

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Han Hye-kyung exercises walking step by step with her mother Kim Shi-nyeo at Gang-won Rehabilitation Hospital, in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Apr. 3, 2013.

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Han Hye-kyung is at the protest camp in front of the entrance of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Jul. 24, 2018.

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Han Hye-kyung looks herself in the mirror while waiting for rehabilitation session at Gang-won Rehabilitation Hospital, in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Mar. 22, 2016.

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Kim Shi-nyeo kisses on Han Hye-kyung, her daughter's cheek on a bed at their home in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Oct. 31, 2013.

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Han Hye-kyung walks up to her home with help from Kim Shi-nyeo, her mother in Chuncheon, Gang-won province, South Korea on Aug. 16, 2013.

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Kim Mi-seon stands and holds a grip in a subway train on her way to a barista training center for the blind on Oct. 21, 2013 in Seoul, South Korea. Mi-seon worked at Samsung Electronics LCD factory in 1997, and had diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001. She also got a visual impairment as a side effect of her disease.

She applied for industrial accident compensation insurance and pension to COMWEL, Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service in 2011, and after years of struggle at the court against COMWEL and Samsung, she won her case on Feb. 10, 2017.

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Kim Song-hee stands in front of Samsung SDI factory in Ulsan, South Korea on Nov. 4, 2013. Kim Song-hee worked at the factory from 1991 to 2004. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2009 and survived it after undergoing chemotherapy. Since recovering from the illness, he protests for apology and compensation from the company every Wednesday in front of the entrance of the factory.

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Park Hyung-jip holds a portrait of his deceased son Park Jin-hyuk in Ulsan, South Korea on Nov. 5, 2013. Park Jin-hyuk, only one son of Park Hyung-jip, died of leukemia on November 2005. He worked at Samsung SDI factory in Ulsan, South Korea in 2004.

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Chung Hee-su holds a portrait of his deceased wife, Lee Yoon-jung in Bucheon, South Korea on Nov. 7, 2013. Lee Yoon-jung worked at Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip factory in South Korea from 1997 to 2003. She died of a brain tumor in 2012.

He applied for industrial accident compensation insurance and pension to COMWEL, Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service in 2011. After long struggles and debates, The Supreme Court of South Korea sentenced that the brain tumor caused Lee Yoon-jung's death is work-related on Nov. 14, 2017. It was the first case that The Korean Supreme Court recognized a brain tumor is an industrial accident from a semiconductor chip factory.

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Jung Ae-jung holds the picture of her late husband Hwang Min-woong in Bucheon, South Korea on Nov. 9, 2013. Jung Ae-jung and Hwang Min-woong, her husband worked together at Samsung Electronics factory. Hwang worked at the factory from 1997 to 2002 and died of acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2004.

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Park Min-sook takes a pose for a portrait in Hongchun, South Korea on Nov. 12, 2013. Park Min-sook worked at Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory from 1991 to 1998. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, underwent surgery and is in the convalescent stage.

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Hwang Sang-ki holds the picture of his late daughter, Hwang Yu-mee in Sokcho, South Korea on Apr. 11, 2014.

Hwang Sang-ki is the very first person who started the struggle against Samsung Electronics right after his daughter's death in 2007. Hwang Yu-mi, a former Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory worker and a daughter of Mr. Hwang worked at Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory from 2003 to 2005 and died of leukemia in 2007.

After years of Mr. Hwnag's fight against Samsung and the government agency "COMWEL," Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service, Seoul High Court sentenced that Hwang Yu-mi's death was an industrial accident on Aug. 21, 2014. On the decision, Seoul High Court said: "There is a possibility that Hwang Yu-mi was exposed to toxic chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, sulfuric acid which are known to generate leukemia."

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Baek Su-hyun and Choi Wan-woo, members of Samsung Electronics enter the conference room at the office of a law firm "Jipyong" to join the compensation council meeting for victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor chips and display factories on Jan. 16, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea.

The victims, Banolim and Samsung Electronics started negotiation for settlement since 2013. After months of tedious meetings and arguments, they agreed to organize the coordination committee from the third party and authorize the committee to proceed the negotiation in October 2014.

The committee suggested the first draft of the compensation plan at the meeting, but none of the parties accepted the offer. After the meeting, on September 2015 Samsung Electronics announced to launch their compensation package for the victims independently in disregard of the year-long meeting with the coordination committee and victims' family members.

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Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories victims' families, members of "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims, members of Samsung Electronics and the coordination committee members, hold the compensation council meeting for the victims at the office of a law firm "Jipyong" on Jul. 23, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea.

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Chung Hee-su holds his face before the compensation council meeting for victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories at the office of a law firm "Jipyong" on Jul. 23, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea.

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Han Hye-kyung on a wheelchair, her mother Kim Shi-nyeo on her right side, victims' family members and supporters for the victims hold a protest against the company in front of Samsung Town Headquarters on Sep. 15, 2015 in Seoul, South Korea.

The victims, Banolim and Samsung Electronics started negotiation for settlement since 2013. After months of tedious meetings and arguments, they agreed to organize the coordination committee from the third party and authorize the committee to proceed the negotiation in October 2014.

The committee suggested the first draft of the compensation plan at the meeting, but none of the parties accepted the offer. After the meeting, on September 2015 Samsung Electronics announced to launch their compensation package for the victims independently in disregard of the year-long meeting with the coordination committee and victims' family members.

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Lee Kun-hee, the president of Samsung group and his wife Hong Ra-hee greet to the press at The Hotel Shilla in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 28, 2013.

On this day, Samsung group had an executives gala dinner party at the hotel to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "Declaration of Shin Gyungyung(New Management Initiative)" by Lee Kun-hee, the head of the Samsung group. Lee Kun-hee also attended the party with her wife, Hong Ra-hee. The declaration of Shin Gyungyung(New Management Initiative), which is also known as "Frankfurt declaration" was made by Lee during the executive meeting in Frankfurt, Germany in 1993 as a part of his global tour. The most famous phrase of the declaration is "Change everything except your wife and kids." After the declaration, Samsung overhauled the whole group structure, strategies, and culture to become the best company in the world.

On May 11, 2014, Lee was hospitalized for a stroke due to heart attack. He is on a bed unconscious in Samsung Hospital in Seoul since then.

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Samsung Town Headquarters is seen at Gangnam station district in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 7, 2015.

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A protest camp made with plastic covers and cardboard boxes is seen in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 20, 2015.

The victims' families and "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims started a camping protest in front of the entrance of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea from Oct. 7, 2015, after a compensation negotiation with the company broke down despite nearly three years of effort.

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Hwang Sang-ki sleeps in a protest camp made with plastic covers and cardboard boxes in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 20, 2015.

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Banners with photoshopped images of Lee Jae-yong, also known as Jay Y. Lee in the West, the vice chairman of Samsung Group and a grandson of Lee Byung-chul the founder of Samsung are seen on the street in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2017. The banners were set up by the protest group who supports the victims of Samsung semiconductor chip factories and plead guilty of Mr. Lee for victims' death and also corruption.

The victims' families and "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims hold the memorial ritual for the victims on every March 6th since 2008. The victims who worked in Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories died of critical disease like leukemia, cancer and brain tumor due to toxic chemicals they had handled during manufacturing processes. According to Banolim, 112 former semiconductor chip and display factory workers have died among 306 reported cases.

Lee was arrested on Feb. 17, 2017 for his alleged role in the corruption scandal which led to the impeachment of President Park Guen-hye. Lee was accused of bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas and perjury by the special prosecutors' team which investigate the worst corruption scandal in South Korean history.

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The victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories, "Banolim," an activist group which supports the victims and the protesters against Samsung hold the protest after the memorial ritual for the victims in Gangnam station area where Samsung Town Headquarters is located on Mar. 6, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea.

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The victims of Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories, "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims and the protesters against Samsung hold the protest at Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2017. Some of them are wearing dust proof coveralls and masks which actual semiconductor factory workers obliged to wear inside of manufacturing facilities.

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The names of the dead victims from Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip factories are seen on a banner set up on the street in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Mar. 6, 2017.

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Lee Jae-yong, also known in the West as Jay Y. Lee, the vice chairman and the heir of Samsung group, is taken to the special prosecutors' office in Gangnam, Seoul for questioning on Sunday morning. Lee was arrested on Feb. 17, 2017 for his alleged role in the corruption scandal which led to the impeachment of President Park Guen-hye. Lee was accused of bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas and perjury by the special prosecutors' team which investigate the worst corruption scandal in South Korean history.

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Han Hye-kyung, Hwang Sang-ki, Kim Shi-nyeo and members of Banolim bow to people who attended the ceremony for the signing of the agreement and for the closing of the camping protest in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Jul. 25, 2018.

The victims' family members from Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories, Banolim, an activist group who supports the victims and Samsung agreed to accept the compensation plan suggested by the coordination committee unconditionally and signed the agreement. The final compensation plan will be announced at a press conference in a few months according to the committee.

The victims' families and "Banolim," an activist group which supports and helps the victims started a camping protest in front of the entrance of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea from Oct. 7, 2015, after a compensation negotiation with the company broke down despite nearly three years of effort. The protest continued for 1023 days till the victims and the company agreed and signed the compensation plan suggested by the coordination committee in Jul. 24, 2018.

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A portrait and a statue of the late Hwang Yu-mi is seen at a protest camp in front of Samsung Town Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea on Jul. 24, 2018.

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Kim Ki-nam, the vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics bows and apologizes to the victims and their families after reading the letter of apology during the press conference for Samsung Electronics' apology to the victims and signing of the settlement at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

The victims who worked in Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip and display factories died of critical diseases like leukemia, cancer and brain tumor due to toxic chemicals they had handled during a manufacturing process. According to Banolim, an activist group which supports the victims 112 former semiconductor chip factory workers have died among 306 reported cases.

The victims' families and Banolim started to struggle against Samsung to find out the truth of the matter and to take an apology and proper compensations from the company since 2007. After 11 years of fight, Kim Ki-nam, the president of Samsung Electronics apologized to the victims and signed the compensation plan to help them at the press conference at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

According to the settlement for compensations to the victims, the company will raise 50 billion won ( approx. $44.5 million) and will compensate for various critical diseases of factory workers who worked at semiconductor chip and display factories since 1984.

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Kim Shi-nyeo and Han Hye-kyung shed tears while Kim Ki-nam, the vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics bows and apologizes to the victims and their families after reading the letter of apology during the press conference for Samsung Electronics' apology to the victims and signing of the settlement at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

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Hwang Sang-ki, a father of the late Hwang Yu-mi who died of leukemia due to toxic chemicals from Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip factory and Kim Ki-nam, the vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics shake hands right after Kim's apology to the victims and their families at the press conference for Samsung Electronics' apology to the victims and signing of the settlement at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

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Hwang Sang-ki, a father of the late Hwang Yu-mi who died of leukemia due to toxic chemicals from Samsung Electronics semiconductor chip factory and Kim Ki-nam, the president of Samsung Electronics shake hands and show the signed agreement at the press conference at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

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Kim Ki-nam, the vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics holds Han Hye-kyung by her hand with help from Hwang Sang-ki during a group photo session for the press conference for Samsung Electronics' apology to the victims and signing of the settlement at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

Exclusive Project

Another Family: Workers vs. Samsung

Credits: shin woong-jae

Date of Work: 12/31/69 - 11/23/18

Updated: 01/14/19

Location: South Korea

Archived as: Black and White, Capitalism, Confrontation, Disability, Documentary, Dying/Death, Family, Human Rights, Illness, Investigations, Loss, Photography, Photojournalism, Protests, Samsung, Semiconductor, Workers rights

The Semiconductor chip is the backbone of the digital era. CPU in PC, memory chip in cell phone and even display unit in TV; semiconductor chips invisibly but firmly sustain our daily lives. Nevertheless, we lack knowledge about the semiconductor chip regarding a manufacturing process that results in enormous human cost and sacrifice.

In 2017, Samsung Electronics, the world largest semiconductor chip manufacturer reported $222.81 billion in revenue along with $50 billion in operating profit. Beneath the shadow of these impressive figures, however, some people are suffering from incurable diseases. They are semiconductor chip and display factories workers of Samsung Electronics.

According to Banolim, an activist group supporting these victims since 2007, 112 former workers have deceased among 306 reported cases. They died of critical diseases like leukemia, cancer and brain tumor due to toxic chemicals they had handled during manufacturing processes. Samsung has been concealing their inexcusable vice by winning over or threatening victims and even by controlling media, but the victims have never given up to reveal the truth to the world. After a decade of the victims' struggles against the Goliath, it came to an end. Kim Ki-nam, the vice president and CEO of Samsung Electronics apologized to the victims and signed the compensation settlement to help them at the press conference at Korea Press Center in Seoul, South Korea on Nov. 23, 2018.

According to the settlement for compensations to the victims, the company will raise 50 billion won(approx. $44.5 million, 0.09% of operating profit in 2017), and will compensate for various critical diseases of factory workers who worked at semiconductor chip and display factories since 1984.

This long-term project is the record of dignity, struggles, agonies, and the victory of once-marginalized but righteous people. This body of work is an extraordinary story of ordinary people. They are another family. ("Another Family" was a marketing slogan of Samsung Group from 1997 to 2009.)