DAEGU (SOUTH KOREA)
The Korea Herald [Seoul, South Korea]
April 6, 2025
By Song Seung-hyun
A hospital in Daegu issued a public apology on Saturday after a nurse in its neonatal intensive care unit was accused of abusing newborns and posting unsettling photos of them on social media.
The nurse, who works at Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, ignited public outrage after sharing an image of herself holding an infant, with captions that appeared to suggest a desire to drop the baby.
Further scrutiny revealed that this was not the first time she had posted such photos.
In a two-minute video released on the hospital’s official YouTube channel, the hospital’s director, Kim Yoon-young, apologized.
“We deeply apologize for the distress caused by the inappropriate actions of a NICU nurse at our hospital,” Kim said. “To the parents who entrusted us with their precious children and were profoundly shocked and hurt, we offer our sincerest apologies.”
Kim said that the nurse had been removed from duty and would face severe disciplinary action. “Such actions can never be justified under any circumstances,” he added.
Kim also said the hospital was fully cooperating with police and health authorities in their investigation.
The father of one of the infants in the nurse’s photos has filed a police complaint against both the nurse and the hospital director. The father reportedly also alleged that at least five other infants had been mistreated at the hospital and that three more nurses were involved.