{
  "id": 8264416,
  "title": "Toxic humidifier survivors face daily struggles, discrimination",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/toxic-humidifier-survivors-face-daily-struggles-discrimination-8264416",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-18T15:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260919/toxic-humidifier-survivors-face-daily-struggles-discrimination"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The survivors of Korea's humidifier disinfectant disaster, now entering young adulthood, face daily struggles and discrimination. Lim Jae-i, 80, still recalls the anguish of her grandson's cry years ago. Lee Hyun-seo, 25, was exposed to the humidifier disinfectant while in the womb and was born prematurely. He endured a lifetime of hospitalizations due to a non-tuberculosis lung disease and often went unnoticed. As he entered adolescence, he underwent a life-altering realization. Upon seeing his thin frame and concave chest in the mirror, Lee acknowledged that his life would never mirror his peers. The infants who bore the brunt of the disaster are now young adults, and a 2025 survey by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment found that 26.5 percent of its victims were in their 20s or younger. While the public's perception of the tragedy still centers around infant fatalities, the survivors grapple with an ongoing daily battle.",
  "summary": "\"I want to take my shirt off and exercise like my friends do, too!\" Lim Jae-i, 80, cannot forget her grandson's anguished cry years ago. Lee Hyun-seo, 25, was exposed to humidifier disinfectant — an antibacterial liquid added to humidifier water — while still in the womb and was born prematurely. He cycled in and out of hospitals with nontuberculous lung disease, a chronic lung condition…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Toxic humidifier survivors face daily struggles, discrimination",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/toxic-humidifier-survivors-face-daily-struggles-discrimination",
        "published": "2026-09-18T15:17:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}