"Let's Not Use Dates of Tragedy"…University Hospital App Used Sewol Ferry Disaster Date as Birthdate Example

Disaster Date Used as Example for Date of Birth
App Operator States: "Full Responsibility Lies With Us"

Controversy has erupted online after it was revealed that major university hospitals in South Korea used April 16, 2014—the date of the Sewol ferry disaster—as an example for entering dates of birth in their mobile applications.

According to social media posts on July 15, the 'Hi-Pass' service within the Korea University Hospital app had, until recently, shown 'If the date of birth is April 16, 2014, enter 202140416' as an example for entering a birthdate on both the 'Family Registration Patient Inquiry' and 'Proxy Payment' screens.

Controversy arose over the example for entering the date of birth on the 'Family Registration Patient Inquiry' and 'Proxy Payment' screens within the Korea University Hospital app 'Hi-Pass,' which showed 'April 16, 2014 entered as 202140416.' Social media platforms...

Controversy Over Using the Sewol Ferry Disaster Date as an Example

April 16, 2014 is the day that the Sewol ferry, en route from Incheon to Jeju, sank off the coast of Jindo, Jeollanam-do. The tragedy resulted in the deaths or disappearances of 304 passengers out of 476 onboard, including students from Danwon High School in Ansan who were on a school trip.

Since the Sewol tragedy, this date has often been used in a mocking or derisive manner on far-right online communities such as Ilgan Best Storage (commonly known as 'Ilbe'), creating ongoing social controversy and hurting the bereaved families.

Online, users have commented that, while general users might simply see it as a random date example, those familiar with Ilbe's culture cannot help but question the intent behind using such numbers. Ilbe communities have a history of distorting dates such as May 23, the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun, and April 16, the Sewol disaster, as well as using expressions like '○○Day' for mockery.

Netizens expressed concern, stating, "We shouldn't treat the date of someone's death so lightly. It's frustrating to see how these things have spread unnoticed throughout society," and "Isn't this the origin of 'Tank Day'?"—openly questioning the background behind the language used.

Apology statement published by Lemon Healthcare.

Lemon Healthcare: "We Sincerely Apologize—Hospitals Are Not Involved"

Lemon Healthcare, the med-tech platform specializing in hospital app management and development, issued an apology for the inappropriate use of the date within the app.

In an official apology posted on its website on July 14, Lemon Healthcare stated, "We have caused deep pain to the bereaved families who lost loved ones in the Sewol ferry disaster, and to all citizens who have endured that pain together. We know that no words can truly seek forgiveness, and we offer our sincere apologies."

The company went on to say, "Upon investigation, we found that the phrase in question was first written during the initial app development and subsequently copied and reused during UI updates without proper review. The responsibility for failing to consider the feelings of those who would see these screens lies entirely with Lemon Healthcare, with no excuse."

The company added, "This incident has caused significant distress to the customers of more than 140 leading general hospitals nationwide who use Lemon Healthcare's patient app. The app is developed and provided by Lemon Healthcare for use by these hospitals, and the writing and management of on-screen messages are entirely our responsibility; the hospitals themselves had no involvement."

Additionally, Lemon Healthcare stated, "As soon as we became aware of the issue, we corrected the example date and updated all patient apps used by our client hospitals. Going forward, we will incorporate a more considerate approach—one that accounts for users’ feelings and societal pain—and will standardize training and quality checks for all team members handling content."

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