Shin Sangjin on Pediatric ER Search: "I'm Truly Concerned About Why They're Acting So Thoughtlessly"

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin strongly criticizes excessive investigation on social media
"An enormous shock to medical staff... Police and government must responsibly address the situation"

Shin Sangjin, mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, strongly criticized a police search of a pediatric emergency room on the 28th, saying, "I'm truly concerned about why they're acting so thoughtlessly."

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin. Photo provided by Seongnam City.

With seven of the nine pediatric emergency medicine specialists at Ajou University Hospital recently expressing their intention to resign, he urged the government and police to take responsibility for addressing the situation, voicing concern over the loss of pediatric emergency care staff and gaps in treatment.

On his social media account that day, Mayor Shin said, "Since the police were founded, they have never once searched a pediatric emergency room," adding, "The police deserve criticism for pressing ahead with an excessive investigation without even consulting experts."

He said, "Investigators entering and searching an emergency room where staff are working to save the lives of pediatric patients is an enormous shock to medical personnel who have never experienced such a harsh ordeal."

He added, "This could leave them with the despairing sense that they are not protected even in the demanding emergency care setting where they work to save children's lives."

He also said, "The police and the government must take this matter seriously and responsibly address it to ensure that this incident does not lead to the loss of pediatric emergency care staff or gaps in treatment."

Screenshot of Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin's Facebook page.

Mayor Shin, who has sharply criticized the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's handling of the medical crisis, expressed concern this time about the impact the police's investigative methods could have on pediatric emergency care and called on the government and police to respond.

On September 30, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency searched the pediatric emergency medical center and other facilities in connection with the case of a child who died after receiving treatment at Ajou University Hospital in July. The medical community subsequently protested, accusing the police of conducting an excessive forced investigation at an emergency room where patients were being treated and disrupting care. The appropriateness of the search also became a point of contention during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's comprehensive audit of state affairs.

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