Doctor devoted to enhancing S. Korea's emergency medical service mourned by colleagues

SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's medical community on Thursday mourned the sudden death of a doctor who spent his life enhancing the country's emergency medical services.

The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine issued a statement earlier in the day expressing great shock and sadness at the passing of Yoon Han-deok, the head of the National Emergency Medical Center.

The 51-year-old doctor was found dead after suffering a heart attack at his office on Monday during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The medical society said the deceased was tireless in his efforts to bolster the quality of emergency medical services in the country, having played a leading role in introducing the so-called doctor helicopter service.

The helicopter service helps move critically ill patients to medical facilities as quickly as possible, ensuring that they receive timely treatment -- potentially a matter of life or death. He also played a key role in introducing new procedures aimed at better safeguarding people's lives, including the establishment of a disaster and emergency medical operation center that can cope with large scale disasters and facilitate the treatment of injured people.

Reflecting such dedication, large number of ordinary people expressed sadness over Yoon's untimely death, with President Moon Jae-in writing a social media post that he shared the public's sorrow over Yoon's death.

Yoon's funeral ceremony is set to take place early Sunday at the National Medical Center in Seoul.
(END)