[Sciences] Alumna Kim Eun-mi, Director General of the Forensic Science Department at the National Forensic Service
- Date2021.11.09
- 4497
Alumna Kim Eun-mi, Director General of the Forensic Science Department at the National Forensic Service
In 1887, Ewha founded Korea’s first hospital exclusively dedicated to women, named Po Goo Nyo Goan, followed by the College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine in 1945, the College of Natural Sciences in 1982, and the world’s first college of engineering for women in 1996. Through such advancements, Ewha has been producing talented women leaders in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, science, and engineering. The person that we would like to introduce today is alumna Kim Eun-mi (Pharmacy, graduating class of 1986) who directs the Forensic Science Department at the National Forensic Service (NFS).
Q. Hello! Please briefly introduce yourself.
It’s nice to meet you. I am Kim Eun-mi, a 1986 graduate from the Department of Pharmacy at Ewha Womans University. I’m currently serving as the Director General of the Forensic Science Department at the NFS.
Q. Please explain your work in detail.
As I majored in pharmacy, my main duty for the first six to seven years at the NFS was to detect substances that could potentially cause deaths such as drugs, poisonous substances, and pesticides in biological samples collected from victims of unexpected, unnatural, or suspicious deaths. After that, I was in charge of detecting drug components in all kinds of material evidence and biological samples seized from suspects who are believed to have taken narcotics. In particular, just before being promoted to the position of director, I was responsible for detecting drug components in the hair of drug users.
Currently, I am serving as the Director General of the Forensic Science Department. The department consists of the Forensic DNA Division, the Forensic Toxicology Division, and the Forensic Chemistry Division. The Forensic DNA Division is responsible for identity verification and personal identification by DNA analysis; the Forensic Toxicology Division is in charge of investigating and establishing the cause of death for accidental deaths, as well as drug testing and appraisal of unsafe food through the analysis of drugs and toxic substances; and the Forensic Chemistry Division investigates and establishes causes of crimes related to drinking, sex crimes, arson incidents, etc. through the assessment of chemical components.
Q. When was the most fulfilling moment in your current work?
When my analysis results provide a clue that leads to the solution of a case or when a case that remained unsolved for years is cracked through the development of a new analysis method, it can be emotionally rewarding in a way that cannot be expressed in words. One of my proudest achievements was developing the world’s first “analysis method for propofol glucuronide in hair.”
Propofol is a sedative-hypnotic agent for use in the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia or sedation for a critically-ill patient undergoing mechanical ventilation. Propofol shares certain properties with illegal narcotics such as addictiveness, withdrawal symptoms, and tolerance. So, once you start taking it, it’s difficult to stop, and you have to continue to increase the volume or frequency of doses. As you might know, the world-famous singer Michael Jackson, who suffered from chronic pain and insomnia due to repeated plastic surgeries, frequently took propofol and ended up dying of an overdose in 2009.
As propofol abuse has become a social problem, the government designated propofol as a controlled narcotic substance in February 2011. Accordingly, it became urgent to establish an analysis method to prove that drug abusers had taken propofol. Our team members then intensively researched the subject over a period of four months and developed an analysis method for propofol in hair. This test method was really meaningful as it was the first of its kind in the world.
Q. What do you think is the most important attribute required of a forensic toxicologist?
In some aspects, working for the NFS entails dealing with samples that are dangerous, dirty and difficult to control. But we work in this field with a sense of duty because someone has to do it. I’m sure the same is true for other fields as well, but since my test results for the analysis of drugs can determine whether someone is guilty or innocent of a crime, so I cannot allow a single mistake or error. So, it’s important to remain focused at all times when conducting tests.
I think there are three virtues required for researchers of the NFS (or forensic toxicologists). These are honesty, responsibility, and sympathy. Since whether a crime has been committed or not is determined depending on the analysis results, NFS researchers must be always honest in conducting tests and take responsibility for their test results. And like the proverb “hate the sin, not the sinner,” they need to treat even criminals with sympathy.
Q. Could you tell us about your future goals or direction in life?
I’ve been working for a long time in the field of narcotics, so my dream is to realize a safe, drug-free society. To this end, I’d like to dedicate my professional knowledge and utmost efforts towards developing new testing methods. After retiring, I’d like to help advance forensic investigations in developing countries through activities such as a donation of talent.
Q. What are some hopes you have for the future of Ewha and Ewhaians?
I believe that the strength of Ewhaians lies in “harmony in diversity.” When I remember my freshman days at Ewha, I saw a diverse spectrum of students, including myself, with different personalities and backgrounds gathering together to get to know, understand, and be considerate to each other within the inclusive boundaries of #Ewha. I believe that such experiences became a solid foundation in my life so far. I believe that differences can come together to create harmony and synergy, which will allow Ewha and Ewhaians to grow even further in the future by upholding this mindset.