Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Yang Jae-woong Hospital in 'Patient Death Incident'

Securing Medical Staff's Mobile Phones and Hospital CCTV Footage

It has been confirmed that the police conducted a search and seizure at a hospital operated by psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong (43) in connection with the death of a patient who had been restrained.

Psychiatrist and broadcaster Yang Jae-woong. Mystic Entertainment.

On the 16th, the Criminal Mobile Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency announced that they executed a search warrant on the 14th at a hospital located in Bucheon City, where Yang Jae-woong serves as the hospital director.

The police secured mobile phones of the hospital staff including Yang Jae-woong, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage within the hospital, and various electronic information necessary for the investigation.

A police official stated, "Although we previously received voluntarily submitted materials from the hospital, we conducted the search and seizure for a more thorough investigation," adding, "This is the first time a search warrant has been executed in relation to this case."

At the hospital operated by Yang Jae-woong, an incident occurred on May 27 last year where a woman in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, who was admitted for treatment of diet drug addiction, died 17 days after admission.

The bereaved family claimed that Ms. A was subjected to improper isolation and coercion during her hospitalization and that she did not receive appropriate medical treatment during this process, leading to her death. They filed a complaint against Yang Jae-woong and six other hospital officials on charges of abandonment resulting in death and professional negligence causing death. According to the autopsy report, the cause of Ms. A’s death was presumed to be "acute pseudo-intestinal obstruction."

Given the complex nature of the medical dispute involved, the police decided that the case would be investigated by the provincial police rather than the local police station. Subsequently, on the 31st of last month, the Bucheon Wonmi Police Station, which had been investigating the case, transferred it to the Criminal Mobile Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency.

Meanwhile, Yang Jae-woong has stated that he cannot admit to any negligence related to the patient’s death. In October last year, he appeared as a witness at the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee’s audit and repeatedly responded "I do not admit it" to lawmakers’ questions about whether the hospital acknowledged any fault in the patient’s death.

However, he bowed his head and apologized to the bereaved family, saying, "You trusted our hospital and admitted the patient, and I apologize once again for not being able to ensure her safe recovery."