Investigation Launched into Patient Death at Yang Jae-woong's Hospital

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has initiated an investigation into the death of a patient at a hospital operated by psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong. In response, Yang's legal team from LKB Partners issued a statement on March 20, asserting that the appropriateness of the patient's isolation and coercive measures, as well as the legality of the procedures, are currently under police investigation. They argued that the Human Rights Commission's findings, lacking enforcement powers, cannot definitively conclude that the measures were inappropriate or procedurally flawed. They also indicated plans to contest the Commission's decision due to alleged errors in the investigation.

The incident dates back to May of last year when a woman, referred to as A, died after being hospitalized for treatment of diet pill addiction. Her family claims that the hospital neglected her care, leading to her death, and subsequently filed a complaint against Yang and hospital staff for involuntary manslaughter and professional negligence.

The police investigation was halted in January after the Korean Medical Association failed to provide expert consultation results. According to police regulations, investigations can be suspended if expert evaluations take an extended period.

On March 18, the Human Rights Commission reported findings of false documentation in medical records and referred Yang, the attending physician, on-call doctor, nurses, and nursing assistants to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for further investigation. The Commission found that A was isolated four times and subjected to coercive measures twice, with the final coercive action occurring on the day of her death, when she was found unresponsive by emergency responders.

Yang's representatives stated that, due to the nature of psychiatric hospitals, the attending physician is best suited to make decisions regarding a patient's care, even outside of regular hours. They clarified that while the on-call doctor is responsible for documentation, discussions about patient care decisions occur in morning meetings between the attending and on-call doctors.

They emphasized that it is generally agreed that the attending physician should make treatment decisions, and if any documentation errors occurred, they would accept appropriate penalties. Furthermore, they refuted claims that isolation and coercive measures were conducted without a doctor's orders, asserting that the Human Rights Commission's referral pertains specifically to inaccuracies in medical records.

As a result of this incident, Yang Jae-woong has suspended his broadcasting activities and postponed his marriage to Hani, a member of the group EXID.