(Sept 26): South Korean regulators found Samsung Electronics Co violated nuclear safety rules, exposing workers at a semiconductor plant to radiation.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission greenlit an administrative penalty of as much as 10.5 million won (US$7,900 or RM32,716) based on findings from an investigation, the agency said in a statement Thursday. South Korea’s biggest company may face further penalties for two other violations, an official said.

In May, two workers at Samsung’s factory in Giheung, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Seoul, were exposed to levels of radiation far higher than the annual limit during maintenance work on equipment that analyses silicon wafers. The two were hospitalised.

A safety device that automatically shuts off radiation when an equipment door is opened did not activate due to negligence on the part of Samsung’s radiation safety team, according to the statement.

Samsung has said it would cooperate with the probe and give support to the affected workers. It also said it would do its best to prevent further accidents.

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