The families of workers say there are about 200 cases of employees contracting serious diseases, including cancer, an investigation by the Associated Press news agency found.

Samsung withheld the information saying it came under trade secrets, said AP.

Samsung said the safety of its workers was its "number one priority".

Allegations 'not true'

A group of workers' families has said 76 people have died due to contact with the chemicals.

The victims need the information to qualify for compensation.

They allege Samsung withheld the information from South Korean authorities under the justification of trade secrets, an accusation the company firmly denied.

Under South Korean law, companies are not required to reveal information deemed a trade secret. Firms are, however, obliged to disclose whether their products contain toxic substances.

Samsung said in a statement that the allegation it had "intentionally blocked workers from accessing chemical information pertaining to workplace health and safety, or illegally prevented the disclosure of such information, is not true".

Compensation for industrial injury, including cancer, has been awarded in some cases, but the group of families say that other claims are being hampered because the South Korean authorities demand the details of which chemicals had caused the illnesses and deaths.

Without it, the authorities usually reject the demand for compensation.

(BBC)