President Lee orders full probe into battery plant's alleged fake vitamin injections

President Lee Jae Myung ordered a thorough inquiry after receiving a ministry report on allegations that DN Automotive's Ulsan battery factory gave employees chelation injections under the pretense of vitamin shots. He tasked the Ministry of Employment and Labor and relevant investigators with probing the extent of hazardous exposure, the injection process, and any falsification of medical examination outcomes. Lee described the practice as an intolerable violation of human rights and warned that any breaches would trigger strict legal penalties.

The accusations suggest the injections were used to lower blood lead levels before mandatory health checks, despite lead concentrations reportedly exceeding permissible limits by over fivefold. DN Automotive denies coercion, claiming the treatments were voluntary. Lee also asked officials to investigate whether comparable tactics have been employed at other workplaces, calling for stronger worker health protections.