"This is a grave challenge to the vocation and self-esteem of nurses."
A hospital in South Korea is being criticised for forcing its newly hired nurses to perform a “sexy dance” for its officials.
Korea Times reports that Sacred Heart Hospital nurses at Hallym University were forced to perform the dance at an internal event in October.
A nurse reportedly posted a letter of complaint on social media showing photos of the event. In the pictures, nurses are seen in short pants and tube tops performing a “sexual” dance.
“Those forced to dance are usually the newly hired nurses, who are unable to refuse such orders,” the nurse wrote on social media on Friday.
“We were forced to dance in front of high-ranking officials of the firm, who sat side-by-side at a long table.”
Another nurse said some nurses cried during the events.
Sacred Heart Hospital is run by the Il-song Foundation, which also owns three universities and seven hospitals in South Korea.
An official from the Ministry of Employment and Labor said it was investigating what happened.
“An internal review is under way,” said the official. “If we find legal problems, we will summon the hospital officials responsible.”
The Korean Nurses Association said in a statement, “this is a grave challenge to the vocation and self-esteem of nurses. There are numerous nurses who endure an intense workload, low paycheck and frequent overtime with their sense of duty and vocation.
“Considering this, the scandal was defamatory and offensive to these nurses.”
The association urged the government to tighten regulations to prevent such sexual offences in the future.