Gachon University under fire for bribery

An artist's conceptualization of Gachon University Gil Medical Center Courtesy of Gil Medical Center Hompage

By Kim Hyun-bin

Gachon University Gil Medical Center is under fire for bribing a director level official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) surnamed Huh. Most of the bribes were spent at massage parlors and adult entertainment establishments. The director was arrested on suspicion of bribery Tuesday.

The MOHW relieved Huh from his post and plans to take disciplinary action against him.

The director overlooked key grading criteria for the Gil Medical Center in order for the hospital to have an advantage in the selection process to be named a “research-based hospital.” In exchange for key information the director received 350 million won ($325,000), according to the National Police Agency.

The director of the hospital Lee Gil-ya and her chief secretary surnamed Kim were booked without detention on several charges including professional malpractice, bribery and political financing irregularities.

In 2013, the National Police Agency began its investigation after receiving a tip that bribery was taking place at the hospital.

In 2012, Huh worked at the public health medical technology development department at the health ministry, which oversaw the selection process. Huh gave key information regarding the selection procedures including budget, the research based hospital selection quota and grading criteria.

Huh was taken on golf outings and given corporate credit cards. Since, 2012 through December, last year Huh used eight different cards provided by the hospital to make it difficult to trace that he was using them. His spending included 30 million won on adult entertainment, 26 million in hotel fees, and 55 million at massage shops and sports clubs.

“I admit using the credit card, but that was not a bribe. Gil Medical Center asked me to recommend talented people and I used the credit card to take care of expenses after meeting people,” Huh said.

However, his testimony was contradicted by hospital staff.

“Huh made a request to receive a corporate credit card, in 2010. We had not been allowed to operate a child emergency room before, so we didn't want to be disadvantaged this time,” said Lee. “Also Huh was working at the department at MOHW that oversaw the project so we could not refuse his request.”

Lee's chief secretary was booked as an accomplice for handing corporate credit cards to Huh.

“During the first two years after Gil Medical Center was named as a research-based hospital, it received five billion won in government aid,” said an official at the National Police Agency.

Lee is also accused of bribing National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee members and Incheon district lawmakers.

Police say Lee gave 15 lawmakers up to 10 million won each, and provided illegal political funds accounting for 46 million won under employees' or her family's names.

No need to investigate

The health ministry said Wednesday that it will look into if the selection process for research-based hospitals was fairly handled.

However, the ministry said it will only look at administrative errors including evaluation results and submitted documents during the selection process.

It added that it will decide to further investigate or to hand over the case to the police if they find the evaluation procedures were found to have been illegal.

Gil Medical Center received the title of research-based hospital after receiving key information about the grading procedures from Huh. This incident alone could prove that the selection process was wrongfully handled

However, even before holding an internal investigation the ministry said it doubted an individual could affect the outcome of the selection process.

“A 20 member evaluation committee selected the research-based hospitals; I have doubts that one employee could influence the evaluation process,” said Lim Sook-young, section chief of health industry policy at the MOHW. “Huh was bribed but there are the police investigation has failed to reveal whether the selection process was rigged or not. If Gil Medical Center received the grading unjustly we will cancel it and take strict measures against them.