[2020 National Audit] Sanctioned but Still... Relay Appearances of Show Doctors Switching Broadcasts

18 Appearances Despite KCC Review
"Show Doctors Left in Regulatory Blind Spot"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] It has been revealed that some ‘show doctors’ have continued to appear on broadcasts by changing programs to avoid sanctions despite being penalized for delivering false or exaggerated information and advertising medical institutions. A show doctor refers to a physician who appears on broadcasts recommending treatments or health supplements without clear medical evidence.

According to data submitted by the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Shin Hyun-young, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee (Democratic Party), there were 196 cases of broadcasts or home shopping programs featuring medical professionals receiving sanctions from 2014 to September of this year.

Among these, 11 medical professionals appeared on problematic broadcasts three or more times. The Korea Communications Standards Commission imposed sanctions on these programs 82 times, accounting for 42% of the total.

By medical specialty, Korean medicine doctors accounted for the most cases with 54 (27.5%), followed by orthopedic surgeons with 27 cases (13.8%), and urologists and family medicine doctors each with 18 cases (9.2%). A Korean medicine doctor, Mr. A, who appeared on broadcasts focusing on Damjeokbyeong and repeatedly announced the hospital’s name, had the highest number of broadcast program sanctions at 18 times.

Orthopedic surgeon Mr. B, who excessively mentioned the efficacy and effects of prolotherapy while promoting phone consultations (16 times), urologist Mr. C, who exaggerated or guaranteed the efficacy and effects of erectile dysfunction procedures and promoted the hospital’s name (14 times), and family medicine doctor Mr. D, who appeared on home shopping programs guaranteeing or recommending the functionality of self-developed probiotics (8 times), followed.

The reason these individuals could continue appearing on broadcasts is pointed out to be the absence of a mechanism to restrict medical professionals’ appearances, as the Korea Communications Standards Commission’s sanctions are directed at the broadcast program producers.

Assembly member Shin pointed out, “The Korea Communications Standards Commission’s disciplinary results are not shared with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, so administrative actions against problematic medical professionals fall into a blind spot.” In fact, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has only imposed administrative sanctions such as license suspensions on three show doctors in the past 10 years. Of these, one case was in 2015 and two in 2016, with no records of detection since then.

Shin emphasized, “Whenever issues regarding show doctors arise, health authorities have pledged to take strict measures, but punishments still remain lenient. To eradicate fake news related to health, it is necessary to increase communication among related ministries to enable sanctions against show doctors who repeatedly deliver false health information, and ultimately establish an integrated organization overseeing health information.”

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