Medical Association President Who Insulted Judge with "Is This Woman Sane?" Faces Defamation Charges

Im Hyun-taek, President of the Korean Medical Association, Reported to the Civilian Committee
Charges of Defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act
"Judge's Self-esteem Insulted... Thorough Investigation Needed"

Regarding the doctor who was sentenced guilty for administering a Macperan injection to a vomiting patient, Lim Hyun-taek, the president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), who publicly criticized the judge involved, has been reported for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

Im Hyuntaek, President of the Korean Medical Association.
Photo by Kang Jinhyung, Asia Economy

The civic group People's Livelihood Countermeasure Committee (Seominwi) announced on the 13th that it submitted a complaint to the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, stating that President Lim posted the judge's photo and personal attack remarks on his social networking service (SNS), thereby insulting the judiciary.

According to the complaint submitted by Seominwi regarding the case, "This denies the rule of law in a liberal democratic country and is an atrocity that damages the pride of the presiding judge," adding, "This constitutes defamation and obstruction of business under the Information and Communications Network Act. It also amounts to instigating medical law violations by urging doctors to reject judicial rulings."

Kim Soon-hwan, Secretary General of Seominwi, emphasized, "President Lim is disregarding the judiciary with shameless words and actions, even humiliating the self-esteem of judges who strive to uphold the rule of law," and added, "His arrogance and conceit are causing further social problems, so a swift and thorough investigation is necessary."

Earlier, when news broke that the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 3-2 upheld the original sentence of 10 months imprisonment with a 2-year probation for Dr. A, a doctor in his 60s charged with professional negligence causing injury, Lim posted the photo of the presiding judge on his Facebook on the 8th, criticizing, "A doctor who treated a patient gets 10 months imprisonment with 2 years probation because the outcome was bad? Is this woman sane?" In response, the Changwon District Court issued a statement expressing regret, calling it a serious insult to the judge's character. On the 11th, he also stated on his Facebook, "From now on, do not use any medicine for all vomiting patients who come to hospitals or clinics," and "There is no patient important enough to risk going to prison."

The problematic case dates back to January 2021. Dr. A, who operated a clinic in Geoje City, Gyeongnam Province, was prosecuted for administering 2 ml of Macperan injection to patient B, who showed vomiting symptoms, causing injuries such as general weakness, speech disorder, and worsening of Parkinson's disease. The court judged that Dr. A was guilty because he administered the drug without properly checking the medical history of the patient suffering from Parkinson's disease.

The Macperan injection at the center of the case is a commonly used drug to treat symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Although it has side effects that can worsen Parkinson's symptoms, its half-life is relatively short at about 5 hours, during which the drug concentration is reduced by half, and the probability of worsening Parkinson's symptoms is significantly low, so it is frequently administered to patients. However, due to these side effects, it is recommended to be cautious when administering to Parkinson's patients or the elderly. Dr. A claimed that he fulfilled the duty of medical inquiry before administration and that there was no negligence, but the court did not accept this argument.

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