A staff member at South Korea’s Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, collapsed on Wednesday evening, reportedly due to overwork.
According to officials, the employee, who is in his 40s, lost consciousness while on duty around 9 p.m. He was quickly transported to a nearby emergency room and has since regained consciousness.
A spokesperson for the Presidential Office stated, “There’s a shortage of personnel, and with the demands of background checks, it appears the workload became overwhelming.” The official added that the employee is now stable and will undergo further medical evaluation.
Upon hearing the news, President Lee Jae Myung addressed the situation in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“I just received news that a staff member at the Presidential Office collapsed due to overwork,” he wrote. “Please don’t worry about your responsibilities for now, just focus on your recovery.”
He went on to stress the importance of health and self-care: “While fulfilling one’s duty as a public servant is important, your health and safety must come first. I sincerely urge everyone to take care of themselves.”
Lee also emphasized the value of teamwork in government. “The president alone cannot achieve meaningful results. Only through the united efforts of public servants can we build a better future for our citizens,” he said.
He concluded with a message of gratitude: “To all the staff at the Presidential Office and public officials across all ministries—thank you. I deeply respect your hard work and dedication.”
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