Doctor Remains Licensed Despite Sexual Assault... Bill Proposed to Revoke Medical License

Source: Kim Won-i, Democratic Party member

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] "In 2018, an obstetrician and gynecologist who illegally filmed the body of a patient during treatment was caught in the act and sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation in the first trial. Although the second trial is currently underway, the doctor is still treating patients."

This was conveyed by Kang Byung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, when he proposed an amendment to the Medical Service Act. The bill stipulates that if a medical professional receives a prison sentence or higher, their medical license will be revoked.

Under the current law, doctors maintain their licenses even if they commit serious crimes. This is because the conditions for license revocation are limited to mental illness, drug addiction, legal incompetence, performing medical acts during suspension periods, receiving three or more suspensions, license lending, falsifying medical certificates, and fraudulent billing.

There is no basis for license revocation even if a doctor is criminally punished for violent crimes such as sexual assault or murder. Since the Medical Service Act was amended in 2000, violations unrelated to medical practice do not affect the license. The criminal records of doctors who commit sex crimes are also not disclosed.

Professions such as lawyers, accountants, patent attorneys, and tax accountants lose their qualifications if they receive a prison sentence or higher, probation, or a suspended sentence. Even under the Apartment Management Act, the disqualification criteria for representatives of apartment buildings include "persons who have received a prison sentence or higher with probation and are still within the probation period."

According to data received by Democratic Party member Kim Won-i from the National Police Agency, the number of sexual crimes committed by doctors, which was 114 cases in 2015, steadily increased each year to 163 cases in 2018 and 147 cases last year. Most were rape or sexual assault, with some cases of illegal filming.

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