7 out of 10 Perpetrators of Emergency Room Disturbances Are Intoxicated Individuals

Emergency room scene. Photo by Yonhap News

It was found that 65% of perpetrators of violence in hospital emergency rooms were intoxicated.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Park Heeseung, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeonbuk Namwon, Jangsu, Imsil, Sunchang), there were a total of 1,828 cases of emergency medical workers experiencing violence in emergency rooms over the past three years (2021?2023). Among them, 979 perpetrators (65.1%) were intoxicated.

Violence in emergency rooms has been increasing annually, with 585 cases in 2021, 602 cases in 2022, and 641 cases in 2023. Violence by intoxicated individuals also rose accordingly, with 308 cases in 2021, 324 cases in 2022, and 347 cases in 2023. The first half of this year recorded 296 cases. By type of violence, verbal abuse and insults were the most common at 1,142 cases (62.5%), followed by physical assault at 580 cases (31.7%), threats at 118 cases (6.5%), property damage at 89 cases (4.9%), and abuse of authority or power at 81 cases (4.4%).

As of this year, the most common type of victimization was verbal abuse and insults with 211 cases, followed by physical assault with 67 cases, threats with 20 cases, property damage with 7 cases, abuse of authority or power with 6 cases, and others with 40 cases. Acts committed by intoxicated individuals accounted for 187 cases, representing 74.8% of the total. There were also 46 cases where intoxication status was unknown.

A law strengthening penalties for perpetrators who assault emergency medical workers in emergency rooms has been in effect since 2019. Previously, obstructing emergency medical care was punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won, but the revised law imposes up to ten years in prison or a fine between 10 million and 100 million won for causing injury. Those causing serious injury face at least three years of imprisonment, and those causing death face life imprisonment or a minimum of five years in prison.

Assemblyman Park Heeseung emphasized the need for strict law enforcement against emergency room violence to establish a safe emergency medical environment. He stated, "Despite strengthened penalties for emergency room violence, incidents of violence against medical staff continue to recur," adding, "This poses a threat not only to emergency medical workers but also to the lives of other patients."