[Comprehensive] Occupational Disease Recognized for Late Nurse Seo Ji-yoon, Victim of 'Taeum' Abuse

Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service "Nurse Seo Ji-yoon Recognized for Occupational Disease"
Bereaved Family and Civic Groups "Recommendations for Recurrence Prevention Must Be Implemented"

The "Citizens' Countermeasure Committee for the Death of Nurse Seo Ji-yoon Due to Workplace Bullying at Seoul Medical Center" held a press conference on the 8th in front of the Seoul Disease Judgment Committee of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging the recognition of Nurse Seo's death as a work-related accident.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] The death of the late nurse Seo Ji-yoon, who suffered from workplace bullying among nurses known as 'Taeum' and took her own life, has been recognized as an industrial accident. This comes six months after her bereaved family applied for industrial accident recognition.

This is the second case where workplace bullying has been recognized as an industrial accident, following the late nurse Park Sun-wook, who jumped to her death due to Taeum in February 2018.

Workers' Welfare Corporation: "Nurse Seo Ji-yoon's illness recognized as work-related"

The Workers' Welfare Corporation announced on the 9th that after reviewing the industrial accident application submitted by Nurse Seo's family, it recognized her condition as a work-related illness (industrial accident).

Nurse Seo, who had been working at Seoul Medical Center for seven years, was found dead at her home on January 4 of last year. Suspicions arose that workplace bullying was the background of her death, which reignited public discussion about the seriousness of bullying in the medical industry, known as 'Taeum.'

In this regard, the Work-related Disease Judgment Committee held a review meeting on the 29th of last month and heard testimonies from the bereaved family and their representatives.

The Disease Judgment Committee concluded that "(Nurse Seo) experienced mental distress related to work and workplace conditions, and due to accumulated work-related fatigue and stress, she made an extreme choice while her normal cognitive abilities were impaired." This acknowledges a significant causal relationship between Nurse Seo's death and her work.

The "Citizens' Countermeasure Committee for the Death of Nurse Seo Ji-yoon Due to Workplace Bullying at Seoul Medical Center" held a press conference on the 8th in front of the Seoul Disease Judgment Committee of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging the recognition of Nurse Seo's death as a work-related injury.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Human Rights and Civic Groups: "Implement Measures to Prevent Recurrence"

However, it is reported that the Taeum culture still persists on site. Nurses unanimously stated, "Unless structural problems such as staff shortages are resolved, bullying in hospitals cannot disappear."

Human rights and civil society organizations welcomed the corporation's decision but urged, "Seoul City and Seoul Medical Center must implement measures to prevent workplace bullying so that nurses do not suffer and honor the deceased."

In Nurse Seo Ji-yoon's Suicide Note: "I Do Not Want Condolences from Hospital Staff"

The news of Nurse Seo's death came two months before the industrial accident recognition of the late nurse Park, who worked at Seoul Asan Medical Center and jumped to her death due to workplace bullying in 2018. This caused another stir in our society, which was about to enforce the 'Workplace Bullying Prohibition Act.'

Before her extreme choice in January last year, Nurse Seo sent messages to her family saying, "I can't work because of the scary atmosphere," "I feel so lonely and sorrowful," and "I was scolded for making coffee." In her suicide note, she reportedly wrote, "I do not want condolences from hospital people."

The Truth Investigation Committee, composed of Nurse Seo's bereaved family and union recommendations, conducted an investigation into Seoul Medical Center where she worked, concluding in September last year that "Nurse Seo's death was indeed caused by workplace bullying."

Officials from the Citizens' Countermeasures Committee regarding the death of the late nurse Seo Ji-yoon due to workplace bullying at Seoul Medical Center held a "Nurse Seo Industrial Accident Application Press Conference" on May 7 in front of the Seoul Northern Branch of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service in Jungnang-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Taeum'... 'Burning the soul until it turns to ashes'

According to the Truth Investigation Committee's activity report, Nurse Seo worked in the team with the highest work intensity from July 2015 to December 16, 2018, without rotation. Her total annual working days in 2018 were 217, more than the average of 212 days among her 19 peers, and her night shifts totaled 83 days, exceeding the 76 days of her peers.

Due to frequent schedule changes, unreasonable work shifts, and night shift issues, Nurse Seo appealed for department transfer or resignation. She reportedly confided her distress about night shifts to acquaintances. She was also dispatched to the 'Same-day Ward,' handled by veteran nurses with over 20 years of experience. The committee also found evidence that some staff made insulting remarks to the deceased.

Truth Investigation Committee: "A reasonable decision... Implement improvements in working conditions"

The committee welcomed the corporation's decision as a 'reasonable decision' but emphasized, "As revealed in this decision, Nurse Seo's death was not personal but a result of workplace bullying by Seoul Medical Center managers and a structural death caused by poor working conditions of regular nurses." They urged, "Seoul Medical Center should apologize to the bereaved family and implement recommendations to improve working conditions, including reviewing the night shift system for nurses."

The committee added, "We hope this will restore the deceased's honor and provide some comfort for the bereaved family's mental shock and great pain," and called for "establishing a memorial monument and providing psychological support to the bereaved family."

Increase in Industrial Accident Recognitions... From 47 cases in 2014 to 231 in 2019

Meanwhile, since the revised law took effect in July last year recognizing mental illnesses caused by workplace bullying as industrial accidents, rights remedies have also increased. According to the corporation, related industrial accident applications, which were only 137 cases in 2014, rose to 331 cases last year. Recognitions of industrial accidents also increased sharply from 47 cases in 2014 to 231 cases last year.

The Workers' Welfare Corporation, a public institution under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, provides services including industrial accident and employment insurance, industrial accident medical services, and labor welfare services. Headquartered in Ulsan, it operates six regional headquarters and 56 branches nationwide from Seoul to Jeju, 10 directly managed hospitals, two clinics, a human resources development institute, three research institutes including the Workers' Welfare Research Institute, and one call center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.