Police Launch Investigation Into Nurse's Death Following Workplace Bullying Allegations

▲ File photo of a nurse (The photo above is not related to the content of the article.)

Police have launched an internal investigation into the death of a nurse in her 20s who had reported experiencing workplace bullying, known in Korea as "taeum."

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency announced on July 2 that it has formed a dedicated investigation team of 20 members to look into the case.

The team is led by Heo Tae-gyu, head of the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Unit, and includes 10 investigators, three medical investigation specialists, and two victim protection officers.

Police plan to determine whether bullying actually took place by interviewing the bereaved family and colleagues of the deceased nurse, identified as A, and by examining her mobile phone and other evidence.

"Taeum" is a slang term referring to a culture where senior nurses harass junior nurses while training them, derived from the phrase "burning them until they become ashes."

Nurse A was found dead at her home on June 2.

After resigning from a hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in March of last year, A reported the workplace bullying to labor authorities.

At the time, labor authorities acknowledged that some of A's claims were true and ordered the hospital to take corrective measures. However, critics point out that the actual protection was insufficient because the implementation of these measures was left to the hospital's discretion.

The launch of this internal investigation appears to reflect the government's commitment to addressing the issue.

President Lee Jae-myung stated on his social media yesterday (July 1) that "taeum" is a form of violence that cannot be justified, and ordered a stern crackdown.

Police plan to decide whether to transition to a formal investigation once the internal probe is concluded.

If the bullying is confirmed, the perpetrators could face charges including assault, intimidation, coercion, insult, and defamation.

A police official stated that while it is true a dedicated team has been formed, it is difficult to disclose further details as the case is still in the internal investigation stage.

Separately from the police investigation, labor authorities are conducting a labor inspection of the hospital to determine whether there were any violations of the Labor Standards Act.

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