Toxic substances are sometimes inevitably produced during the manufacturing process. Companies have a duty to safely manage and dispose of these materials.

However, one company was caught secretly dumping such toxic substances into a river for decades. The company is Chemours, a subsidiary of the American chemical giant DuPont.

Perhaps acknowledging their wrongdoing, they reached a settlement with the U.S. government to pay 450 million dollars, or approximately 700 billion won in Korean currency. Whether that amount is considered small or large is a matter of perspective.

In this day and age, it is difficult to comprehend how a company could still be secretly dumping toxic substances, especially in the United States, which has a system of astronomical punitive damages.

Did Chemours simply pay the money and receive a free pass? Why has North Carolina, one of the affected regions, been turned upside down? Video Mug delivers the details.

Reported by So Hwan-uk | Video by Lee Ki-eun | Graphics by Ahn Jun-seok | Assistance by Kim Chae-hyun | Produced by SBS Intellectual Property Content Team