A 40-year-old male physician has been formally transferred to prosecutors under arrest after being accused of illegally filming a female patient’s body 27 times while she was under sleep anesthesia, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s metropolitan investigation unit for narcotics crimes. The suspect faces multiple charges including violations of the Narcotics Control Act, the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, and quasi-Rape by coercion, as stated by investigators on Oct. 24. A second doctor in his 50s operating in the same building was also transferred to prosecutors for allegedly administering medical narcotics illegally.
According to the police investigation, the primary suspect carried out the illegal filming targeting a single female patient between July 2021 and February 2022. Because the victim was under sleep anesthesia during the incidents, she could not perceive or remember what was happening at the time. Investigators found that the internal structure of the hospital was isolated from the outside, which allowed the offenses to repeat over an extended period.
Illegal Medical Narcotics Distribution and Financial Scale
Beyond the filming allegations, the 40-year-old doctor is accused of administering propofol and other medical narcotics 71 times to seven patients who visited his clinic under the guise of receiving cosmetic procedures between November 2021 and November 2023. Investigators revealed a separate operation involving a 50-year-old physician running a clinic in the same building. This second doctor allegedly administered propofol and other medical narcotics 111 times to eight patients over a roughly one-year period spanning from July 2022 to June 2023, pocketing approximately 4억1700만원.
Police determined that the two doctors operated as business partners sharing the same building, but carried out their illegal drug administration offenses independently. Law enforcement stated that neither doctor had any legitimate medical purpose for the injections. Instead, the anesthetics were dispensed according to the size of the payment made by the recipient. Cosmetic procedures were either skipped entirely or handled in a purely formal manner, with narcotics administered during late-night hours or holidays whenever requested.
Did You Know? Investigators documented extreme instances of abuse within the clinics, including one patient who paid up to 1350만원 in a single day, and another who visited the clinic 64 times over an 11-month period to spend a total of 2억5300만원.
Prosecution Transfer and Seizure of Criminal Assets
Authorities are systematically transferring a total of 13 individuals involved in the drug administration to prosecutors in sequential order. To recover illicit profits, the police have applied for pre-indictment asset preservation targeting properties and assets valued at 4억5700만원 from both medical professionals.
As a systemic safeguard moving forward, the police have submitted a formal recommendation to relevant government ministries. The proposal requests the mandatory implementation of the chaperone system, which would require a nurse or another third party to be physically present during any medical procedure involving sleep anesthesia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific charges do the arrested doctors face?
The 40-year-old doctor was transferred to prosecutors under arrest for violations of the Narcotics Control Act, the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, and quasi-Rape by coercion, alongside illegal filming and unlawful drug administration. The 50-year-old doctor was transferred for illegally administering medical narcotics.
How long did the illegal filming and drug distribution take place?
The illegal filming occurred between July 2021 and February 2022. The illegal administration of medical narcotics by the main suspect spanned from November 2021 to November 2023, while the second doctor’s administration activities took place from July 2022 to June 2023.
What preventative measures have authorities proposed following the investigation?
Police have officially recommended that relevant government ministries mandate the chaperone system, requiring nurses or other third parties to be present during all medical treatments utilizing sleep anesthesia.
What additional safeguards could medical regulators implement to better protect sedated patients in private clinics?
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