Trauma surgeon Lee Cook-jong, who saved a North Korean soldier from multiple gunshot wounds after his dash through the inter-Korean truce village in 2017, has been named head of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital. 

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik announced on Wednesday that he named Lee, who currently works at the Ajou University Hospital’s Trauma Center in Suwon, to lead the military hospital in Daejeon, and promoted him as an honorary Navy captain.

Lee will take a leave of absence at the Ajou University Hospital and take office as head of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital on Thursday this week. 

"Soldiers and the public hold high expectations for the appointment of a leading expert in severe trauma to head the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital,” Shin said.

“We anticipate his significant contribution to enhancing the medical treatment capabilities of the Armed Forces Daejeong Hospital and advancing the telemedicine and emergency medical systems."

Lee is recognized for his significant contributions to the establishment of trauma patient care systems in Korea such as regional trauma centers and the introduction of “doctor helicopters.” In 2011, he saved the life of Captain Seok Hae-gyun, who was shot by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. In 2017, he played a crucial role in saving the life of a North Korean soldier who suffered multiple gunshot  wounds while defecting to the South through the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom.

Lee actively engaged in the treatment of trauma patients. Within the community of emergency medical workers, the trauma center at Ajou University Hospital gained a reputation as "the best place to receive trauma patients."

However, his journey was not without challenges. While establishing the trauma center seemed essential for the hospital, the nearly 200 million won ($154,438) bill for Captain Seok Hae-gyun's treatment sparked controversy as it was initially covered by Ajou University Hospital. The government only settled the outstanding bill in 2017, six years after the incident.

His conflicts with the hospital's management grew because trauma patient care incurred more losses. 

In 2020, a recording of a conversation between the then medical director of Ajou University Medical Center and Lee surfaced, sparking controversy. The released audio file, disseminated through the media, captured the medical director's use of profanity directed at Lee. Subsequent to this incident, Lee resigned from his position as the head of the trauma center and has since been treating patients as a regular trauma surgeon.