A South Korean traditional medicine doctor has been fined 20 million won (about US$15,100) after a 92-year-old patient died from a heart muscle tear caused by acupuncture on the chest.
Judge Koo Cheon-soo of the Daejeon District Court handed down the fine on charges including professional negligence resulting in death, according to local media reports on Oct 24.
The 68-year-old doctor, who operates a clinic in Geumnam-myeon, Sejong, was accused of inserting three acupuncture needles into the patient’s chest, with one penetrating too deeply and causing a small tear in the heart muscle within the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart.
The procedure was performed at about 2.35pm on Aug 14, 2022. The patient died at around 5.08pm that same day, The Korea Herald reported.
Prosecutors said the doctor failed to check the patient’s pulse or explain the risks of chest acupuncture before proceeding.
When the patient complained of chest pain and showed signs of breathing difficulties, the doctor allegedly left the patient unattended for about 15 minutes. The patient subsequently lost consciousness.
The doctor was also charged with failing to prepare medical records and obstructing business.
The obstruction charge involved a separate dispute with a cafe operator in Sejong. Between September 2024 and February 2025, the doctor allegedly used an excavator to place boulders on the cafe’s driveway on 12 occasions, blocking customers’ vehicles.
According to broadcaster SBS, the doctor reportedly held a grudge against the cafe operator after their relationship ended.
The court said the case involved a grave outcome, with the patient dying as a result of professional negligence. It also noted that the doctor committed the obstruction offence while under investigation in the death case.
In deciding the sentence, the court considered that the doctor admitted to the offences and expressed remorse. The doctor had also reached an amicable settlement with the deceased patient’s family and deposited money with the court for the victim of the obstruction case.
