Dismissal of Nurse at Daegu Catholic University Hospital over Newborn Abuse Allegations

Suspicions of Abuse Sparked by Inappropriate Phrases
Police Seize Mobile Phone for Investigation

A nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Daegu Catholic University Hospital, who sparked a child abuse controversy by posting inappropriate phrases along with photos of newborns on social networking services (SNS), has been dismissed.

On the 11th, Daegu Catholic University Hospital announced that, after going through the staff ethics committee, it dismissed the nurse who abused a patient in the NICU on the 4th. The hospital also notified the patient's parent, Mr. B, of this fact in writing.

Previously, nurse A posted on SNS a photo of a patient along with phrases such as "Want to cause a fall," "Anger control disorder (bunjojang) coming up," and "What time is it? Now go to sleep."

Photo posted by Nurse A on SNS. Screenshot from online community

After Mr. B reported the incident, the hospital became aware of it and proceeded with disciplinary action against nurse A. The Daegu Police Agency, which launched an investigation following Mr. B's complaint, seized nurse A's mobile phone and is checking through digital forensics whether there are more photos indicating child abuse. Since Mr. B claimed that "at least three more nurses were involved in the abuse," the hospital is also identifying two other nurses and investigating whether they directly committed abuse.

As the controversy grew, Kim Yoon-young, president of Daegu Catholic University Hospital, stepped forward to issue an official apology. On the 5th, Director Kim posted a video on the hospital's YouTube channel, stating, "I deeply apologize for causing great concern to many people due to the inappropriate behavior of a nurse in our NICU," and added, "I sincerely apologize especially to the parents who entrusted us with their precious children, causing them great shock and pain."

He continued, "Our hospital immediately excluded the nurse from work and decided on severe disciplinary action. We are also cooperating sincerely with ongoing investigations by the police and health authorities," and added, "We deeply understand the shock and pain felt by the parents and the public, and we will do our best to resolve these issues."