Patient in Their 90s Dies of Myocardial Rupture After Acupuncture for Back Pain; Korean Medicine Doctor Fined

Daejeon District Court imposes a 20 million won fine
Also charged with obstructing business and failing to keep medical records

A Korean medicine doctor has been sentenced to a fine for causing the death of a patient in her 90s after performing acupuncture on her chest without taking her pulse.

According to Yonhap News on October 24, Judge Gu Cheonsu of the Daejeon District Court's Criminal Division 5, sitting as a single-judge panel, sentenced the doctor, identified only as A, to a fine of 20 million won on charges including professional negligence resulting in death.

A view of the Daejeon District Court. Yonhap News.

A was indicted on charges of causing B, 92, to die on the same day in August 2022 by causing a minor myocardial rupture within the pericardium while inserting acupuncture needles into B's chest. B had visited A's Korean medicine clinic for back pain. A reportedly inserted three needles into B's chest, one of them deeply.

Prosecutors (now the Public Prosecution Office) determined that A was negligent in failing to take the patient's pulse and explain the risks of acupuncture on the chest. They also found that A left B unattended for about 15 minutes, despite B complaining of chest pain and showing signs of difficulty breathing, until B lost consciousness. B was later taken to a nearby hospital but died.

A was also charged with violating the Medical Service Act for failing to keep medical records. In addition, A was indicted on a charge of obstructing business for allegedly placing several large rocks in front of a cafe owned by an acquaintance with whom A had a personal grudge, using an excavator to block customers' vehicles from entering and leaving the cafe. The alleged obstruction took place from September 30, 2024, to February 2, 2025.

Judge Gu noted, "The professional negligence resulting in death case had the grave consequence of the victim's death, and the defendant's conduct was reprehensible because A committed the business obstruction offense while under investigation in that case." Explaining the sentencing, the judge said, "However, I considered it a favorable factor that the defendant admitted to the offenses and expressed remorse, that an amicable settlement was reached with the family of the deceased victim, and that the defendant deposited a certain amount of money for the victim of the business obstruction offense."

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