"60-Year-Old Providing Unlicensed Dental Care Only to Elderly in Jeju for 6 Years Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison"

Fine of 10 Million Won and Additional Forfeiture of 700 Million Won Ordered
Court: "Criminal Proceeds Are Not Insignificant and There Are Previous Convictions of the Same Kind"

A man in his 60s, a 'fake doctor' who illegally performed dental medical procedures without a medical license on hundreds of elderly people in Jeju for six years, has been sentenced to prison.

On the 8th, the Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Bae Gumin) announced that it sentenced Mr. A, in his 60s, who was arrested and prosecuted on charges of violating the Special Act on the Control of Health Crimes (illegal medical practitioner), to four years in prison and a fine of 10 million won, and ordered the confiscation of approximately 693 million won. Mr. A is accused of performing various dental medical procedures such as implants, orthodontics, and prosthetic treatments on about 300 elderly patients at the first floor of his detached house where he lived, from December 2016 to August 2022, without a medical license, earning about 700 million won.

The dental treatment equipment set up at Mr. A's residence
[Photo by Jeju Autonomous Police Agency, Yonhap News]

Mr. A was found to have secretly conducted unlicensed medical treatments targeting elderly patients, claiming to provide affordable care, while equipped with medical devices and supplies necessary for dental treatment, such as X-ray equipment and treatment chairs. He carried out these acts after obtaining a Chinese dental-related certificate, which is not recognized in Korea. Mr. A has a total of three prior convictions for similar offenses and committed the same crimes for a long period even after being released from prison after serving a 1 year and 6 months sentence. Furthermore, expired medicines were found in Mr. A’s clinic and workshop, and medical supplies were outdated, indicating that patients were exposed to very unsanitary conditions.

Ms. B, a woman in her 40s, and Mr. C, in his 50s, who assisted Mr. A’s crimes, were sent to prosecution without detention. Ms. B assisted Mr. A’s unlicensed medical practice despite not having a nursing license, and Mr. C, who operates a dental laboratory, is accused of producing and supplying dental prosthetics to Mr. A while knowing that he did not have a dental license. After a search and seizure was executed on August 27, 2022, Mr. A fled Jeju Island and used a vehicle and mobile phone under another person’s name, living in hiding for 1 year and 3 months before being caught in Gyeonggi Province last November.

The court stated the reason for the prison sentence, saying, "The sentence was determined considering the significant amount of criminal proceeds obtained by the defendant from this crime and the defendant’s prior convictions for similar offenses."