“Kicked in the butt and had cigarette smoke blown in the face” ... Another bullying allegation at hospital where radiologic technologist died

[Financial News]  An allegation has emerged that further signs of workplace bullying have been uncovered at a hospital in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, where Im Ga-hyeon, a radiologic technologist who died after speaking out about workplace bullying, had worked.
Rep. Ahn Ho-young of the Democratic Party of Korea disclosed the information on the 13th after receiving a tip from a bereaved families’ support group.
The alleged mistreatment reportedly took place in other departments of the hospital, not just the one where the deceased had worked. One tipster claimed, “At a drinking gathering, I was hit on the head, kicked in the buttocks, and even had cigarette smoke blown in my face.”
The tipster also said that after telling a manager about the bullying, they were instead ostracized.
Another tipster reportedly stated that they were reprimanded in front of patients for not having lunch together and were instructed to greet people at the hospital entrance in winter without a coat.
Similar allegations were also found in a complaint filed with the Gunsan Branch of the Gwangju Regional Office of Employment and Labor by the Legal Support Center of the Jeonbuk Regional Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
The complaint included an employee’s statement that a coworker had told them, “You’re popular because you have a slender figure.” The employee reported the remark to a team leader and a manager, but no action was taken.
Rep. Ahn said, “The recurring problem in multiple tips is that when victims report what happened, it is not resolved and they instead suffer retaliation,” and pointed out, “Those involved and witnesses should be checked directly, and the investigation should also determine whether managers knew about the mistreatment and left it unaddressed.”
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