Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae has ordered a fact-finding investigation into the Gyeonggi Medical Center and the timely establishment of a local labor inspectorate, following the death of a nurse in her 20s at a hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, last month, who took her own life after suffering from workplace bullying known as 'taeum.'

On July 3, Governor Choo stated, "Ensuring that no one has to endure bullying and injustice alone in the workplace is the value of fairness for the 9th popularly elected Gyeonggi provincial government," and ordered the preparation of countermeasures.

First, she ordered a comprehensive inspection of workplace bullying at the six hospitals under the Gyeonggi Medical Center (Suwon, Uijeongbu, Paju, Icheon, Anseong, and Pocheon).

The plan is to identify problems and correct wrongful practices through anonymous feedback collection and on-site interviews.

She also ordered the provision of thorough support for workers' rights protection through approximately 120 village labor attorneys across the province.

Village labor attorneys are professionals who provide free consultations to residents and workers experiencing difficulties with wage arrears, employment contracts, unfair dismissal, industrial accidents, and workplace bullying.

She also directed that the dedicated organization for local labor inspectors, which is planned to consist of 562 personnel over the next three years, be established without any setbacks.

After first hiring 170 labor inspectors this year, the province plans to begin on-site labor inspections in the first half of next year following job training by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the designation process as special judicial police officers.

Gyeonggi Province intends to start by examining small businesses with fewer than 30 employees and vulnerable labor sites, and to prevent the recurrence of wage arrears, unfair working conditions, violations of industrial safety standards, and infringements on labor rights.

(Photo: Yonhap News)