The public apology by Lee Jay-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group, over a massive outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome at a hospital run by the conglomerate should become the starting point for the Korean medical sector’s efforts to upgrade its standards.

The apology, offered by Lee at his first-ever news conference Tuesday, was followed by pledges to overhaul Samsung Medical Center as soon as the disease was under control.

Lee also said Samsung would take full responsibility for the treatment of the patients, work closely with the authorities concerned and make all-out efforts to contain the MERS outbreak quickly.

“I bow my head and sincerely apologize to the nation for the immense suffering and concern that Samsung Medical Center has caused,” he said.

Lee made the statement in his capacity as the chairman of Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation, which runs SMC and has been under fire over its handling of MERS patients and becoming a major source for the spread of the virus.

The MERS outbreak put SMC into its gravest crisis since its opening in 1994 as the nation’s foremost hospital. For a hospital which draws patients seeking the best medical services ― many of them with power and money ― at home and abroad, it certainly would be painful to be accused of being the main culprit for the spread of infections.

For Lee, what has been unfolding at SMC is a big embarrassment not only because it greatly damaged Samsung’s reputation, but it also came at an awkward time for him ― he is in the process of ascending the throne of the Samsung empire.

The outbreak came about a month after Lee took over the chairmanship of the welfare foundation and the Samsung Foundation of Culture, which had been held by his ailing father, group chairman Lee Kun-hee.

The change was largely seen as the initial step of a low-profile legal transfer of the leadership of the nation’s top conglomerate. It is ironic that the junior Lee had to stand before cameras for what happened at a hospital which he took over from his father while the senior Lee has been staying there for more than one year after suffering from a heart attack.

It would have been preferential for Lee, who has been groomed as the heir to the Samsung throne for many years, to make his public debut as the de facto leader of the group in better circumstances. But he made the right decision to step forward, given the gravity of the health crisis that has battered people’s daily lives and the economy.

This offers a stark contrast with the government officials involved, none of whom have yet to offer apologies for the poor response to the MERS outbreak in its initial stage.

It would be simplistic thinking, however, if Lee thought he did all that he has to do by reading the statement and making a deep bow before the cameras. He ought to make sure Samsung, as he promised, helps treat MERS patients and stops the spread of the virus at the earliest possible date.

He also should make sure SMC initiates an overhaul of its crisis management system, infection control and operation of the emergency room, which became a hotbed of virus transfers between patients and visitors. What SMC will do could become a model for other hospitals in the country.