"'Irreplaceable Talent in Emergency Surgery' Asan Hospital Doctor Who Died in Truck Accident 'Wave of Mourning' (Comprehensive)"

A thoracic surgeon at Seoul Asan Medical Center died in a traffic accident near the hospital.

On the 17th, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul announced that Professor Joo Seok-jung, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Seoul Asan Medical Center, died in a traffic accident. Professor Joo was hit by a right-turning dump truck while crossing the crosswalk on a bicycle at an intersection in front of the Family Town apartments near Seoul Asan Medical Center in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, around 1:20 p.m. the previous day.

At the time, the pedestrian signal was red, and it is reported that the dump truck driver did not violate the signal. The police will investigate the exact cause of the accident and review whether to take legal action against the driver.

Professor Juseok, Seoul Asan Medical Center
[Photo by Seoul Asan Medical Center website]

Professor Joo had worked as a thoracic surgeon at Seoul Asan Medical Center since 1998. His specialties included aortic diseases such as aortic dissection and aortic valve stenosis, fields that frequently require emergency surgeries and have a shortage of medical personnel. He served as an executive director of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, chairman of the Aortic Research Society, and director of the Aortic Disease Center at Seoul Asan Medical Center’s Heart Hospital.

With Professor Joo’s sudden passing due to the accident, a wave of mourning is spreading throughout the medical community. Patients who received treatment from him are also posting tributes online.

No Hwan-gyu, former president of the Korean Medical Association, said, "Professor Joo was a talent among talents who elevated the level of aortic surgery in Korea to another dimension," adding, "Due to the absence of such talent, someone may lose the chance of survival that could have been possible." He continued, "The tragedy of a competent doctor is not just an individual tragedy," and "It is too sad for the human heart."

Professor Joo’s funeral will be held on the 18th at the Seoul Asan Medical Center Funeral Hall (Room 20).

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