Hospital Director Sentenced to 6 Years in First Trial for 36-Week Abortion... Mother Receives Suspended Sentence

Case Revealed After Mother Uploaded Abortion Process on YouTube

Doctors indicted for performing an abortion on a woman who was 36 weeks pregnant have been sentenced to prison in the first trial. The mother, who was tried alongside them, received a suspended prison sentence.

Screenshot of the abortion vlog YouTube video by pregnant woman Kwon Mo

On March 4, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 33 (Presiding Judge Lee Jinkwan) sentenced Yoon Mo (81), the hospital director, to six years in prison and a fine of 1.5 million won for charges including murder. The operating surgeon, Shim Mo (62), was sentenced to four years in prison. Kwon Mo (26), the pregnant woman who underwent the abortion, received a three-year prison sentence suspended for five years, along with 200 hours of community service.

Two brokers indicted for violating the Medical Service Act were each sentenced to one year in prison and ten months in prison, respectively, both with two years of suspended sentences.

Yoon and Shim, in June 2024, performed a cesarean section on Kwon, who was 34 to 36 weeks pregnant, then covered the baby with a previously prepared square cloth and placed the baby in a freezer, resulting in the baby's death.

Afterward, they falsified the medical records by stating the mother’s health condition as “bleeding and abdominal pain,” and manipulated the records to make it appear as if the baby was stillborn. When the surgery was revealed, they also issued a false certificate of stillbirth for the baby.

According to the prosecution’s investigation, Yoon began performing abortion procedures due to financial difficulties in running the hospital. From August 2022 to July 2024, he operated three inpatient rooms and one operating room, admitting patients who sought abortions. During this period, Yoon reportedly received 1.46 billion won from brokers who referred a total of 527 patients.

This case came to light when Kwon posted a video titled “Total Surgical Cost 9 Million Won, 120 Hours of Hell” on her YouTube channel. After the video sparked public controversy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare requested a police investigation into Kwon and the doctors involved in the abortion in July 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.