'US Secretary of Defense Involved in "Secret Hospitalization" Controversy, Discharged... Working Remotely for the Time Being'

The U.S. Secretary of Defense, who came under scrutiny for failing to promptly inform not only the President but also his acting deputy about his hospitalization, has been discharged.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 15th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense announced in a statement that Secretary Lloyd Austin was discharged from Walter Reed Military Medical Center after consulting with medical staff. Secretary Austin is currently recovering smoothly and will perform Department of Defense duties remotely for the time being, following doctors' recommendations. Medical personnel confirmed that Secretary Austin received early and effective treatment for prostate cancer and is expected to make a full recovery.

Secretary Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer during a routine checkup earlier last month, underwent surgery on the 22nd of the same month, and returned home the following day. Subsequently, symptoms including vomiting accompanied by abdominal, hip, and leg pain due to infection were observed, leading to his readmission earlier this month.

However, during this process, it was revealed belatedly that President Joe Biden, the military commander-in-chief, was informed of the hospitalization only on the 4th, several days later, and the Deputy Secretary, who acts in Secretary Austin’s absence, was unaware of the hospitalization for three days, sparking controversy. Local reports indicated that President Biden was angered by the secretive nature of Austin’s hospitalization upon receiving the delayed report, and there were reports of an investigation being launched.

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