Medical Professionals Spreading Fake Medical Information Like 'Chili Stems Cure COVID-19' Will Have Their Licenses Suspended

A Korean medicine doctor who claimed on YouTube that "red pepper stems are effective in preventing and treating COVID-19." From now on, if false or exaggerated medical information like this is spread through YouTube, professional license suspension may be imposed. (Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] If medical professionals spread false or exaggerated medical information such as "the dog dewormer fenbendazole has anticancer effects" or "boiling chili pepper stems and drinking it prevents and treats COVID-19," they may face license suspension.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 8th that the partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Medical Service Act containing these provisions was approved at the Cabinet meeting.

This amendment to the enforcement decree was prepared to establish a legal basis for suspending the licenses of medical professionals who provide false or exaggerated health and medical information through internet media, and to stipulate necessary matters for the revised Medical Service Act, which will take effect on the 30th.

Accordingly, from now on, if medical professionals provide false or exaggerated health and medical information through internet media such as YouTube, they may face license suspension. Currently, license suspension is only possible when such false or exaggerated information is disseminated through broadcasting, newspapers, internet newspapers, or periodicals.

In fact, in January, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety filed a complaint against a Korean medicine doctor for violating the Food Sanitation Act and the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods by providing false information such as instructions on how to consume boiled chili pepper stems to prevent and treat COVID-19. However, since YouTube is not considered "broadcasting" under current law, license suspension was not possible.

The amendment to the enforcement decree also includes provisions allowing the delegation of reporting and receiving tasks related to non-reimbursable medical fees of medical institutions to specialized agencies, in accordance with the revision of the Medical Service Act.

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