Late Shin Hae Chul's Attending Surgeon Ordered To Pay His Family For Malpractice

Doctor Kang, the surgeon who operated on the late singer Shin Hae Chul, was ordered to pay his family 1.59 billion won (approximately $1.41 million) in damages for medical negligence.

On April 25, the Seoul Central District Court  civil court settlement section 18 ruled the case filed by Shin Hae Chul’s family against Doctor Kang and his insurance company as a partial win. Dr. Kang was ordered to “pay 680 million won (approximately $602,000) to Shin Hae Chul’s wife and 450 million won (approximately $399,000) to each of his two children.”

The court ordered, “Of the amount that Doctor Kang must pay Shin Hae Chul’s family, he shall pay 200 million won (approximately $177,000) in solidarity with his insurance company.”

Doctor Kang had performed a synechotomy on Shin Hae Chul’s gastrointestinal tract as well as a gastric bypass surgery in October of 2014. Shin Hae Chul had returned to hospital the day after he was discharged with fever, pain, and signs of peritonitis,; however, his pain was dismissed and he passed away on October 27, 2014.

His family filed a lawsuit on May of 2015 and said, “Doctor Kang performed a gastric bypass surgery for financial reasons without the consent of the patient. He was also negligent in the examination and treatment of Shin Hae Chul’s post-surgical pain which ultimately resulted in his death.”

Doctor Kang was sentenced 10 months in prison and two years of probation for manslaughter last November. He has appealed this sentence and the second trial is currently in process.

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