An oriental medicine doctor has been sentenced to a fine for causing the death of a person in their 90s due to negligence during acupuncture treatment.
The Daejeon District Court recently sentenced 68-year-old A, an oriental medicine doctor who was put on trial on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, violation of the Medical Service Act, and interference with business, to a fine of 20 million won.
A, who operates an oriental medicine clinic in Geumnam-myeon, Sejong, was indicted for inserting three acupuncture needles into the chest of 92-year-old B, who visited the clinic for back pain in August 2022, and thrusting one of them so deeply that it caused a micro-myocardial rupture inside the pericardium.
It was found that A left B unattended for about 15 minutes, causing B to lose consciousness, even though B complained of chest pain and showed symptoms of dyspnea.
B was subsequently transferred to a nearby hospital but ultimately passed away.
Investigations revealed that at the time of treating B, A did not check the pulse, failed to explain the risks of acupuncture on the chest area, and even omitted the medical record keeping.
Separately from this incident, A was also charged with obstructing a cafe's business by bringing multiple boulders with an excavator and placing them at the entrance driveway of a cafe in Sejong on a total of 12 occasions from September 2024 to February 2025, preventing customers' vehicles from entering and exiting.
It was reported that A committed these acts harboring ill feelings after breaking up with C, who operated the cafe.
The court stated, "The nature of the crime is grave as the victim in the professional negligence resulting in death case passed away, and the defendant committed the crime of obstructing cafe business even while under investigation for that case." It added, "However, we considered the fact that the defendant admits to the crimes, shows remorse, and reached a smooth settlement with the bereaved family of the deceased victim."
Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
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