Doctor in His 50s Dies After License Revocation and Running a Restaurant... Medical Associations Call for Revision of License Revocation Law

"Revocation of Medical Licenses for Lifestyle Crimes...
License Revocation Law Must Be Amended"

Following the death of a doctor in his 50s who had been struggling after his medical license was revoked, medical associations such as the Gyeonggi-do Medical Association and the Jeonnam Medical Association have called for a complete overhaul of the medical license revocation law.

A major hospital in Seoul. Photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to the Gyeonggi-do and Jeonnam Medical Associations and the police on January 20, Dr. A, a physician in his 50s who had been running a clinic in Gyeonggi-do, was recently found dead near Cheonggye-myeon, Muan-gun, Jeonnam. It has been reported that he had faced significant difficulties after his medical license was revoked.

On January 19, the Gyeonggi-do Medical Association issued a statement saying, "The death of the doctor is a case of physician murder instigated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which destroyed his family and drove him to death through excessive license revocation and repeated refusals to reissue his medical license without valid grounds."

The statement continued, "After receiving a second notice of refusal to reinstate his license from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in October, the deceased fell into deep despair and even attempted suicide. Nevertheless, he summoned the courage to apply for reinstatement a third time, but on January 9, he received yet another refusal without any reasonable explanation. Refusing to reinstate his license three times even after he endured the full three-year revocation period amounts to additional punishment and ultimately drove him to his death."

On January 20, the Jeonnam Medical Association also issued a statement, saying, "The deceased was caught in the legal trap of 'violating the ban on operating multiple medical institutions' while helping a junior colleague open a clinic." The statement explained, "Even though he did not threaten a patient's life or commit a serious ethical crime, the law stripped him of his license and confiscated all of his hard-earned revenue over several years."

They further pointed out, "The current license revocation law, which strips medical licenses even for everyday offenses unrelated to medical practice, must be amended immediately. Even if the law's intent is to raise ethical standards among medical professionals, the current approach, which destroys families and drives doctors to death, is not justice but outright violence."

They also stated, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare must acknowledge its responsibility for driving the deceased to the edge due to regulatory violations and hasty administration, and must issue an apology. The process for reinstating medical licenses should be made transparent, and those who have paid their dues should be guaranteed at least a minimal opportunity to return to their profession."

Both associations jointly demanded: a rational revision of the medical license revocation law; transparency in the license reinstatement process; and improvements in the operation of the Administrative Disciplinary Review Committee, including holding those responsible accountable. They warned, "If the system is not changed, there could be further victims in the future."

Meanwhile, the police have concluded that there is no suspicion of foul play in Dr. A's death and plan to close the case soon.

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