Daegu Catholic University Medical Center has issued a public apology following a growing scandal involving the abuse of newborn patients by nurses in its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The hospital also pledged to take measures to prevent recurrence and to compensate the victims’ families.
According to news reports, Hospital President Kim Yoon-young met with the father of one of the abused infants, surnamed A, on the evening of Thursday, and acknowledged the hospital’s responsibility for the incident. Kim promised a public apology on behalf of the institution and expressed regret over the incident.
Kim also published an official apology on the hospital’s website.
"We recognize the gravity of the recent NICU nurse misconduct on social media and are taking immediate corrective actions along with a thorough investigation,” Kim wrote.” “We sincerely apologize to everyone who has been shocked and hurt by this incident.”
Given that the victims were newborns—the most vulnerable patients—the hospital is deeply shocked, Kim added.
Kim emphasized that the hospital is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigations by the police and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The hospital is currently taking strong disciplinary action against the nurse at the center of the case. Sanctions under review reportedly include a ban on re-employment, withholding severance pay, denying pension benefits, and revoking the nurse’s professional license.
The case began when a nurse posted photos and captions on her personal social media account showing acts of abuse against newborn patients in the NICU.
Public outrage intensified after images and messages included statements such as “Felt like dropping (the baby),” “Why is this one even here?” and “Didn’t comfort the baby from crying, now it’s quiet, guess that fixed it.”
The posts depicted vulnerable newborns, including those unable to breathe on their own, in inappropriate and dangerous situations.
After the nurse’s post, multiple reports surfaced, suggesting the abuse was not an isolated incident. According to the parents of one of the newborns, at least three more nurses may have been involved in similar behavior dating back to August last year.
“The initial report triggered a wave of additional testimonies from other families and insiders,” a victimized parent posted on their SNS. “We are now aware of at least three more cases of abuse, and we’ve requested that the hospital provide the same apology and compensation to all affected families, not just ours.”
The victim’s family filed a criminal complaint with the Daegu Nambu Police Station on Wednesday, accusing the nurse who posted the pictures, along with others, of violating child abuse laws. The case has since been transferred to the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, which typically handles cases involving victims under the age of 10 or those with disabilities.
Hospital officials described the incident as an instance of 'personal misconduct' by individual nurses. However, they acknowledged the gravity of the situation and are conducting a comprehensive investigation into all NICU staff to identify any further cases of abuse.
“We are currently reviewing the full scope of the situation and will notify other families if further abuse is confirmed,” a hospital representative said. “Follow-up measures are being discussed, and we will disclose more details once internal procedures are finalized.”