Police launch probe into online post sniping medical professors’ personal information

Police are conducting a preliminary probe into an online post disclosing the names and pictures of medical professors that it claimed urged trainee doctors to return to work from a walkout.

The post was uploaded at “medistaff,” an internet community for doctors, with warnings, such as “we will remember these names.” The health ministry found the post and referred it to police for an investigation, officials said.

Police are trying to ascertain facts while reviewing related law in order to determine whether to switch to a formal investigation. Charges of defamation and insult can be applied to the case, officials said.

Earlier this month, the same online community saw another post deriding trainee doctors sticking to their hospitals without participating in the walkout as “genuine doctors” while disclosing their personal information.

Police have also booked the writers of a separate post on charges of business obstruction for sharing guidelines to public health and military doctors who filled in for the striking doctors on how to neglect work.

Police said they are strengthening intelligence gathering to crack down on illegal acts connected to the doctors’ collective action through means of expanding monitoring of online posts and contacting the people active in related fields.