"Alone Treated 44 Patients... One Ear Deaf from Overwork" Suicide Nurse's Final Message Revealed

A Nurse in Her 9th Month at Work, Suffering from 'Taeum' and Overwork, Takes Extreme Measures...
"Stress Was So Severe I Lost Hearing in One Ear," She Complains

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Getty Images]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Social networking service (SNS) messages exchanged between a nurse who suffered from "taeum" (workplace bullying) and ultimately took her own life have been revealed. She was under so much stress that she lost hearing in one ear and was overworked, but it is known that she could not even resign because of a contract clause requiring compensation if she did not submit her resignation two months in advance.

According to an MBC report on the 23rd, the deceased nurse, Ms. A, sent messages to a colleague last month saying, "I was so stressed yesterday that I couldn’t hear out of one ear," and "I consulted with the doctor, and they said my depression index was high, so they told the team leader."

About a month after sending these messages, on the 16th, Ms. A took her own life in the hospital dormitory. This tragedy occurred just nine months after she joined a hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. It was reported that she was solely responsible for over 20 patients at this hospital.

Ms. A also messaged a colleague, "I really ate a meal for the first time in a long while." Her July payslip showed that out of the 100,000 won monthly meal allowance, she only used 4,200 won.

Fellow nurse Ms. B said, "If all beds are full, there are 44 patients. She had to treat all 44 by herself, so she ran around so much that her ankle got a bit injured," she said.

On the 23rd, MBC released the July payslip of the deceased nurse A. It was revealed that 4,200 won out of the 100,000 won meal allowance was used. Photo by MBC News Capture

Evidence also surfaced that Ms. A was suffering from the usual "taeum" culture. She messaged a colleague, "I was scolded so much by a senior nurse that I cried and left. They told me not to work and to leave."

Unable to endure it any longer, Ms. A decided to quit the hospital, but the team leader refused her resignation citing a clause in the employment contract. The contract stipulated a minimum one-year work obligation from the contract signing date and required submitting a resignation letter at least two months in advance; failure to do so would require compensation for hospital damages.

The bereaved family claimed that the hospital had entered into an employment contract violating labor laws.

According to the Labor Standards Act, an employer must give one month’s notice before dismissal for specific reasons, but employees are not obligated to work for a fixed period.

The hospital stated, "Ms. A only discussed with the team leader but did not submit a resignation letter, and we accepted all cases where resignation was actually requested," adding, "We will investigate the facts and prepare countermeasures."

Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into whether bullying occurred within the hospital. The Ministry of Employment and Labor is investigating violations of the Labor Standards Act based on the contract between the hospital and Ms. A.

※If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult issues such as depression, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling at suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Line ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, or Youth Hotline ☎1388.

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