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'20140416' Used as Date of Birth Example: Company Apologizes Following Backlash

Go Hui-gyeong

Published : Jul 16, 2026 9:46 AM

Video

[Anchor] Lastly, that date marks the day of the Sewol ferry disaster. What happened?

[Reporter] Yes, an issue was raised regarding a mobile app for patients used by major university hospitals and general hospitals in Korea.

The controversy spread after it was revealed that April 16, 2014, was used as an example for entering a date of birth on the family information registration screen.

As April 16, 2014, is the day the Sewol ferry disaster occurred, criticism poured in, accusing the company of making light of the pain felt by the bereaved families and the public.

As the controversy grew, the text was immediately changed to a different date, and the app developer, Lemon Healthcare, issued an official apology, stating, "We have caused deep pain to the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry and the public."

An internal investigation by the company confirmed that the text was first entered during the app's development in 2018 and had been reused without proper verification through several screen updates over the past eight years.

(Source: Online Community, Lemon Healthcare)