Anguk Yakpum Rebate Received by Public Health Center Doctors... Court Sentences Imprisonment and Fines

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Public health center doctors who were prosecuted for receiving rebates from the pharmaceutical company Anguk Yakpum were sentenced to prison in the first trial.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge Moon Byungchan) announced on the 26th that it sentenced Hong (45), Lee (52), and Lee (34), who were indicted for violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), to 3 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of 100 million won.

For Lee (38), who was indicted on the same charges, the court sentenced 3 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of 150 million won, and for Kim (81), 2 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of 70 million won.

The court pointed out, "The defendants, as managing doctors or public health doctors, were in positions where they should have handled their duties fairly and with integrity, but they received bribes in the form of rebates related to their duties," and added, "This crime greatly damaged the fairness and non-bribability of public officials' duties and the social trust in them, and also tarnished the honor of medical professionals who quietly perform their duties."

However, the court stated the reason for sentencing, "Although the defendants dispute the amount of rebates received, they acknowledge the other facts and show an attitude of reflecting on their wrongdoing."

They were indicted on charges of accepting proposals from sales representatives of Anguk Yakpum at a public health center in Seoul between 2011 and 2019, who offered, "If you prescribe Anguk's pharmaceuticals, we will pay rebates of about 20-25% of the prescription amount in cash," and after accepting this, they received up to 97.98 million won per person.

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