Police Decide Not to Prosecute Former Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki Over Alleged Preferential Hospitalization of Son

Hong Nam-ki, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, who was suspected of having his son admitted to Seoul National University Hospital through preferential treatment, was dismissed without charges.

Former Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the police on the 18th, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency decided at the end of March not to prosecute former Deputy Prime Minister Hong on suspicion of abuse of authority, obstruction of business, and violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, citing lack of evidence or insufficient grounds. Kim Yeon-su, then director of Seoul National University Hospital, who was also accused of the same charges, was also cleared.

In November 2021, Hong’s son, Hong Mo, visited the emergency room of Seoul National University Hospital due to leg fever and pain but was diagnosed as not an emergency case and his patient registration was canceled. However, it was later revealed that after phone calls between former Deputy Prime Minister Hong and former Director Kim, Hong Mo was admitted to a single special room at Seoul National University Hospital. Following the emergence of preferential treatment allegations, the Committee for the Protection of the Common People and Livelihoods filed a complaint against former Deputy Prime Minister Hong and former Director Kim with the police.

The police judged that the scope of duties of the Minister of Strategy and Finance and the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs did not include supervision or direction over doctors at Seoul National University Hospital. They also found no authority to influence treatment or admission at Seoul National University Hospital and thus did not recognize abuse of authority charges.

They also determined that, based on the initial medical records showing leg discoloration and swelling of Hong’s son, continuous treatment was necessary.

Regarding the admission to the special room, the police considered that it might have been carried out according to the usual procedures of specialist consultation and specialist judgment following the emergency room visit, and thus ruled out obstruction of business charges.

It was acknowledged that when Hong’s son could not be admitted, former Deputy Prime Minister Hong called former Director Kim, who then called Kwon Mo, head of the emergency medicine department, to request medical treatment. However, former Deputy Prime Minister Hong claimed to the police that the call was only to consult about his son’s condition and what measures should be taken, and that there was no request for treatment or admission. Former Director Kim also stated that he never received any solicitation.

The police concluded that there was no violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, considering that the testimonies of the two did not conflict, that the specialists who treated Hong’s son acknowledged the necessity of admission, and that there was no evidence of improper solicitation beyond the phone calls.

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