(1) Where deemed necessary to diagnose and prevent an occupational disease and to ascertain the cause thereof, the Minister of Employment and Labor may conduct an epidemiological investigation of the correlation between the relevant employee's disease and hazardous factors in the workplace (hereinafter referred to as "epidemiological investigation"). In such cases, where a business owner, the representative of employees, or any other person prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Employment and Labor requests participation in an epidemiological investigation, the relevant person may be permitted to participate therein, as prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
(2) A business owner and employees shall fully cooperate with an epidemiological investigation conducted by the Minister of Employment and Labor, and shall not refuse, obstruct, or evade such investigation without good cause.
(3) No one shall refuse or obstruct the participation in an epidemiological investigation by a person permitted to participate in the epidemiological investigation under the latter part of paragraph (1).
(4) No person who participates in an epidemiological investigation under the latter part of paragraph (1) shall divulge or appropriate confidential information that he or she becomes aware of while participating in the epidemiological investigation.
(5) Where necessary for an epidemiological investigation, the Minister of Employment and Labor may request the relevant data from the relevant institutions, including the results of health examinations of employees prescribed in Articles 129 through 131, records of health care benefits and results of health checkups prescribed in the National Health Insurance Act, employment information prescribed in the Employment Insurance Act, and information on a disease and a cause of death prescribed in the Cancer Control Act. In such cases, any institution so requested shall comply therewith, unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.
(6) The methods, subject matters, and procedures of epidemiological investigations, and other necessary matters shall be prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Employment and Labor.