The Korean Medical Association Files Constitutional Appeal Against Mandatory Installation of CCTV in Operating Rooms: "Concerns Over Reduced Medical Practice"

Mandatory Operating Room CCTV from the 25th
"Medical Staff May Avoid Active Treatment"

In accordance with the revision of the Medical Service Act, the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in operating rooms is scheduled to become mandatory starting on the 25th, but the Korean Medical Association has filed a constitutional complaint in opposition.

The Korean Medical Association submitted a request for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the amended Medical Service Act provisions and a constitutional complaint petition to the Constitutional Court on the morning of the 5th. Yoon Dong-seop, President of the Korean Hospital Association (left), and Lee Pil-su, President of the Korean Medical Association, are holding up the complaint documents in front of the Constitutional Court.
[Photo by Korean Medical Association]

The Korean Medical Association announced that it submitted a request for a provisional suspension of the enforcement of the revised Medical Service Act provisions and a constitutional complaint petition to the Constitutional Court on the morning of the 5th. The Korean Hospital Association also joined the submission and expressed opposition to the mandatory installation of operating room CCTV.

The revised Medical Service Act, set to take effect on the 25th, requires the installation of CCTV inside operating rooms where surgeries are performed on unconscious patients, and mandates recording the surgical scenes upon request by the patient or their guardian. However, this does not apply to emergency surgeries where delay would be dangerous or to high-risk surgeries requiring active measures to save the patient’s life.

The Korean Medical Association has opposed the installation and operation of operating room CCTV, citing concerns such as ▲leakage of sensitive personal information of medical personnel involved in surgeries ▲breakdown of trust between medical staff and patients ▲violation of freedom to perform one’s profession ▲infringement of constitutional basic rights such as portrait rights. A representative of the association explained, "Operating room CCTV can seriously damage the trust relationship between doctors and patients," adding, "It will be impossible to create an optimal surgical environment, which could ultimately lead to defensive medicine."

On the day, Lee Pil-su, president of the Korean Medical Association, said, "CCTV recording exposes the unique surgical techniques and know-how possessed by the surgeon performing the operation, and since it inevitably involves physical contact with the patient, it could be mistaken for sexual misconduct." He added, "Even if active treatment is provided according to the patient’s condition identified during surgery, there is a high risk that it could be mistakenly perceived as medical malpractice."

President Lee continued, "If the law is enforced, medical personnel will avoid active treatment due to concerns about the risk of complications," emphasizing, "This deprives our citizens of the opportunity to recover their health or save their lives through the best possible medical care."

Yoon Dong-seop, president of the Korean Hospital Association, also pointed out, "Currently, essential medical fields such as surgery, thoracic surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology are facing a shortage of residents, raising concerns about the collapse of essential medical services, and urgent support measures for these fields are needed." He criticized, "However, the mandatory installation of operating room CCTV will clearly accelerate the collapse of essential medical services."

President Yoon expressed concerns, saying, "Patients’ sensitive information about their health and bodies, which they may not want to disclose, will be recorded, potentially infringing on their personal rights and privacy." He added, "There is also a possibility that sensitive patient information and images of patients undergoing surgery could be leaked externally due to hacking crimes."

Meanwhile, at the submission site of the constitutional complaint petition, the Korean Medical Association was represented by President Lee Pil-su, Legislative Director Jeon Seong-hoon, and Legislative Director and Insurance Director Choi Cheong-hee, while the Korean Hospital Association was represented by President Yoon Dong-seop and Executive Vice President Song Jae-chan.

The Korean Medical Association submitted a request for a provisional injunction to suspend the effect of the amended Medical Service Act provisions and a constitutional complaint petition to the Constitutional Court on the morning of the 5th. Yoon Dong-seop, President of the Korean Hospital Association (back), and Lee Pil-su, President of the Korean Medical Association, are submitting the petition.
[Photo by Korean Medical Association]

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