Police have expanded their investigation into the death of a radiologist in his 20s who worked at a general hospital in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, to determine whether workplace bullying was involved.
According to the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Investigation Unit took over the case from the Gunsan Police Station the previous day and launched an investigation. The case is understood to have been transferred in light of growing public attention to bullying in hospitals following the recent death of a nurse from workplace bullying, known as "taeum," at a hospital in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.
"We took over the case to determine whether there was workplace bullying," a police official said. "The investigation is still in its early stages, and there is nothing specific to disclose at this point."
Earlier, around noon on Nov. 29, a radiologist in his 20s identified as Mr. A, who worked at a general hospital in Gunsan, was found dead in a flower bed at an apartment complex in the city.
Mr. A had joined the hospital as a contract radiologist in early June and began working there. He was found to have failed to show up for work on Nov. 26 and then went out of contact.
The bereaved family claimed that Mr. A had been taking medication due to severe stress from his work at the hospital after joining. "He didn't say in detail who bullied him or how, but the child showed signs of struggling a great deal," the family said.
People believed to be acquaintances of Mr. A also appealed through online communities, saying, "The deceased couldn't sleep properly and was prescribed sleeping pills, and I remember him crying while putting on his shoes for the last time, saying he didn't want to go to work." They added, "Please pay attention so that this kind of thing is never repeated."
The hospital has appointed an outside labor attorney to verify the facts. "The hospital also feels devastated by this tragic incident," a hospital official said. "We have told the bereaved family that we will conduct an internal investigation faithfully." The official added, "As of now, it has not been confirmed that there was workplace bullying, and we are working to determine the facts through an objective investigation."
Police are investigating the case as a whole, including the circumstances of Mr. A's death and whether workplace bullying took place.
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