Internal Medicine Professor Dies Amid Medical Crisis... Hospital States "Unrelated to Overwork"

Suspected 'Overwork' as Cause of Death in Initial Report
Bereaved Family "Do Not Wish to Disclose Cause and Circumstances of Death"

Professor A, a respiratory medicine specialist in his 50s working at a general hospital in Bundang, has passed away. The medical community has been experiencing a service gap for over two months due to conflicts triggered by the increase in medical school admissions, leading some to question whether the situation was excessive. However, the hospital stated that this is not true.

According to the medical community on the 21st, Professor A underwent first and second surgeries for intestinal obstruction (a condition where food and digestive fluids cannot pass through the intestines) and was transferred to Seoul Asan Medical Center but did not recover and died in the intensive care unit on the morning of the 20th.

A gown is hanging on a chair in the consultation room of a university hospital in Daegu. This is a stock photo unrelated to the article content.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Former Korean Medical Association President Roh Hwan-gyu previously announced Professor A’s death on his Facebook, writing, "Do not overexert yourselves. For what reason, and for whom are you pushing yourselves?" but later deleted the post.

He explained, "I received a message from an old colleague of the deceased, who was deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic death of a current internal medicine professor, and shared it on social media. However, another old colleague of the deceased expressed strong displeasure," adding, "Since the bereaved family also requested it, I deleted the post for now."

He continued, "Another capable and precious doctor, a valuable life, has departed," and expressed condolences, saying, "I hope you rest peacefully in a better place."

However, the hospital denied the reported circumstances of the death. A hospital official stated, "It is completely inaccurate to link the cause of death to 'overwork,'" and added, "The family requested that the exact cause and circumstances of death not be disclosed."

Another hospital official explained, "It is true that Professor A died in the intensive care unit, but medically, he was in a critical condition from which recovery was difficult."

Last month, an ophthalmology professor at Busan National University Hospital collapsed at home early in the morning due to a cerebral hemorrhage and died. It has not been confirmed whether the ophthalmology professor’s death was related to overwork or other work-related factors, but it was reported that after the mass departure of residents, the professor took on outpatient care, on-call duties, and emergency surgeries, expressing fatigue to those around him.

The Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office is investigating the cause of death. The legal community holds the view that if Professor B’s death is found to be caused by overwork, it could constitute a violation of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.