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Some Seoul residents with respiratory ailments such as asthma are planning to sue Korea's central government, the Seoul metropolitan government and automobile makers for damages from air pollution. The Seoul Air Pollution Litigation Group including the Korean Environmental Litigation Center of Green Korea United and others announced Monday that they will file a lawsuit with the Seoul District Court Wednesday seeking compensation for damages from air pollution. The suit represents some 22 sufferers of breathing ailments who live or work in Seoul or have done in the past.
The litigation group plans to seek W30 million per plaintiff (US$1=W939), or W660 million total, from the central government and Seoul metropolitan government for ¡°not fulfilling their responsibility to maintain clean air in Seoul¡± and from automobile companies such as Hyundai, Kia, and Ssangyoung for providing polluting vehicles.
It is the first such class-action suit against the government for air pollution, the group said. ¡°This suit is to establish the fact that the central government, Seoul metropolitan government, and the automobile companies share responsibility for air pollution,¡± the group said, and that as the parties responsible for pollution they should carry the financial burden for treating respiratory diseases.
A Seoul city government official said they would review the lawsuit before responding.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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