Seoul: College Student Passes Away Following Knee Surgery; Family Takes Legal Action Against Doctors

In a heart-wrenching incident, a 19-year-old South Korean college student met an untimely demise due to complications arising from what should have been a routine knee surgery. The family of the deceased has taken a grave step by filing criminal charges against four medical staff members from Daejeon Eulji Medical Center, alleging death by occupational negligence, as revealed by local authorities on Saturday, as reported by The Korea Herald.

Chronology of events

The sequence of events unfolded when the young student sought medical attention at the hospital on December 22, following a knee injury sustained during a fall at a local ice rink. Subsequently, she underwent a one-hour surgery on December 28 to address a lesion in her knee cartilage. Tragically, her condition took a sudden and severe downturn during the wound-closing phase of the operation, resulting in her untimely death at 6:20 p.m. on the same day.

Family alleges negligence and seeks justice

According to The Korea Herald reports, in response to the unexpected tragedy, the family has chosen to pursue justice by filing criminal charges against the medical staff involved. If found guilty, the accused medical staff could face penalties of up to five years in prison or fines amounting to 20 million won ($15,000). The family's pursuit of criminal charges underscores their belief that negligence played a role in the tragic outcome.

Daejeon Eulji Medical Center has staunchly maintained that the surgery, anesthesia, and all medical procedures related to the student were conducted without any irregularities. Nevertheless, authorities are set to scrutinize medical records and surveillance footage to ascertain whether the medical center should be held accountable for the unfortunate demise.