[THE INVESTOR] Some Amorepacific employees on Nov. 21 claimed that they have symptoms of sick building syndrome -- a medical condition where people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness for no apparent reason -- after moving into the company’s new headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

SBS symptoms tend to increase in severity with the time people spend in a newly constructed building when harmful chemical substances remain after completion. The main identifying observation is an increased incidence of complaints of symptoms such as headache, eye, nose, and throat irritation, fatigue, dizziness and nausea. 

The complaints started a day after more than 3,500 employees who were working at Signature Tower in Jongno-gu moved into the new building on Nov. 20. The complaints escalated after a post was uploaded on anonymous chat app Blind, saying that the quality of the air in the new headquarters appears poor.

As the complaints increased, the firm decided to allow employees to move back to their old office, and if they wish, they could avail of sick leave. The company also called for pregnant workers to leave the building immediately.

“We are now doing our best to rectify the situation. Currently, it’s hard to say when it will be OK for the employees to return to the new office,” an Amorepacific spokesperson told The Investor.

Construction of the new building began in August 2014 when the Korean cosmetics company replaced a 10-story structure with a new 22-story complex on a 14,526 square-meter site.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)