Issue 13. Humidifier disinfectants – in relation to para. 4 (e) of the List of Issues 36. Humidifier disinfectants had been sold since November 1994, but their distribution and sale was discontinued when the Government, after conducting an epidemiological investigation into the patients, including pregnant women, with lung disorders such as a serious breathing problem of no identified cause who had been reported by the doctors in the Seoul Asan Hospital to the KCDC, assumed the humidifier disinfectants to be a possible cause and then confirmed their harmfulness after conducting animal tests to check inhalation toxicity. 37. According to the Comprehensive Portal to Support Victims of Humidifier Disinfectants, the number of persons who claimed to have suffered health damages due to humidifier disinfectants totals 6,509 (including 1,431 dead persons) as of August 23, 2019. Regarding lung disorders, broken down into age, only 153 persons (including 120 dead persons) in the age of 0~6 years out of 435 persons (including 272 dead persons) who claimed for health damages due to humidifier disinfectant were confirmed as having health damages due to humidifier disinfectants; 91 persons (including 5 dead persons) out of 778 (including 18 dead persons) in the ages of 7~12; and 36 persons (including 3 dead persons) out of 529 (including 12 dead persons) in the ages of 13~18. In addition, out of 54 persons (including 19 dead persons) claimed having suffered damages, such as miscarriage, stillbirth and their child’s health problem due to their exposure to humidifier disinfectants during their pregnancy, 27 persons (including 14 dead persons) were recognized as having suffered damages. 38. Polyhexamethyleneguanidine (PHMG), chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), the chemical substances which are among the components of a humidifier disinfectant, were not verified as being safe to humans when the products of humidifier disinfectants were released to the market. 39. The Government should prevent any case similar to the case of humidifier disinfectants from taking place again, by keeping tighter control over the chemical substances which children have easy access to in their living environment or which may influence their living environment. Additionally, the Government should draw up and take policy actions specifically to provide consistent support to the child victims of humidifier disinfectants. 10