Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
CPR saves 3-year-old's life after swimming accident
A child learns to perform CPR during a water safety education session at the government convention center in Sejong, in this April 16 file photo. A 3-year-old child was resuscitated with CPR after almost drowning in a swimming pool at Damyang, South Jeolla Province, according to the local fire station on Monday. Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
A 3-year-old child was resuscitated after almost drowning in a swimming pool at Damyang, a county in South Jeolla Province.
According to the Damyang Fire Station on Monday, the child, who had been swimming at a remote vacation house, showed no signs of life at the time the incident was reported.
Knowing it would take some time for paramedics to arrive, the 119 emergency dispatcher on the phone instructed the child’s legal guardian to perform CPR immediately.
After several attempts, the child regained consciousness. By the time emergency workers arrived at the scene, the child was able to speak again.
This episode underscores the importance of learning CPR, an emergency procedure performed when a person's heart stops beating. Experts say immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
An official at the fire station said CPR could be especially useful for water-related accidents, which can turn deadly in just minutes, adding that knowing how to perform CPR could mean the difference between life and death for the recipient.