"Being Treated Like Garbage Only Happens for a Day or Two" Lee Guk-jong Expresses Feelings on Hospital Conflict

"I wondered what I was doing"
Ajou University Medical School Faculty Association "Resign the Medical Director who insulted Lee Guk-jong"

Photo by JTBC 'Lee Gyu-yeon's Spotlight'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han] Professor Lee Guk-jong, director of the Gyeonggi Southern Trauma Center at Ajou University Hospital, spoke out through a broadcast amid conflicts with the hospital's medical director over allegations of bed allocation. Professor Lee expressed his feelings, saying that the hospital treats him like "trash."

On the afternoon of the 16th, JTBC's "Lee Kyu-yeon's Spotlight" aired a report on the various conflicts surrounding Professor Lee and Ajou University Hospital.

On the broadcast, Professor Lee stated, "I should be the only one keeping quiet about (the internal hospital issues), but since that's not the case, it's chaos," and claimed, "The hospital's attitude changed after I secured the trauma center's budget."

Regarding his current feelings, he lamented, "I wondered what I was doing. It's hard enough to focus on patients and ride the doctor helicopter, but being treated like trash every day is too much..."

Regarding the 'swearing recording' containing a conversation with Yoo Hee-seok, medical director of Ajou University Medical Center, he explained, "It was about staff T/O (headcount). They said they would reduce the contract staff's working period, so I went to explain that it shouldn't be done," describing the situation at the time.

Photo by JTBC 'Lee Gyu-yeon's Spotlight'

The broadcast also revealed the recent reason why Professor Lee participated in naval training.

Professor Lee Guk-jong, an honorary lieutenant colonel in the navy, joined the naval cruising training squadron on the 14th of last month at San Diego Harbor, USA, and participated in a month-long training crossing the Pacific Ocean via Vancouver, Canada, and Hawaii, USA.

A person familiar with Professor Lee explained the background of his participation in the naval training: "He looked like he was about to become mentally ill. Because he thought, 'If I stay here any longer, I will die,' he kept thinking, 'I have to get out somehow.' This has been going on since last summer."

Another informant close to Professor Lee explained, "Since he is extremely displeased with 000, the professor is currently laying low." When asked if "laying low" was used instead of "being dispatched," he explained, "What mission does Professor Lee have to go on? I’m saying he’s laying low."

Meanwhile, the Ajou University College of Medicine Faculty Association issued a statement on the 16th demanding an apology and resignation from Director Yoo.

In the statement, the faculty association said, "Verbal abuse is an act that no one should commit regardless of the motive or underlying conflict of the incident and is a typical example of workplace harassment," and added, "We feel ashamed that the highest executive of the medical center, who should prevent such harassment and punish and discipline the perpetrator, is the perpetrator himself."

They also stated, "Ajou University Hospital was selected as one of the world's top 100 hospitals by Newsweek last year and recently ranked joint 4th in the national customer satisfaction industry rankings this month. The hospital's improved reputation is undeniably due to the efforts of all staff, including Captain Seok Hae-gyun and defector soldier Oh Cheong-seong, who were treated, and Professor Lee Guk-jong, who served as trauma center director. In contrast, Director Yoo's actions have completely damaged the medical center's reputation and are unacceptable."

Accordingly, the faculty association demanded △ Director Yoo apologize to Professor Lee and all faculty members and resign, △ reject any attempts to evade the core issue of workplace harassment in this incident, and △ require the university and medical center to establish a workplace harassment prevention system.

Previously released recordings revealed Director Yoo Hee-seok of Ajou University Medical Center saying to Professor Lee, "Quit it. You XX. Get lost, you XX who aren't even human. Do you want to fight me?" to which Professor Lee responded, "No, that's not true." The recording is known to be from a two-hour conversation between Director Yoo and Professor Lee about hospital personnel issues four to five years ago when Yoo was hospital director.