Seoul doctors sentenced for illegal drug use and covert patient filming

Two Seoul‑based physicians were arrested and charged for repeatedly administering medical narcotics to patients for profit and secretly recording them while under sedation. The investigation revealed that one doctor injected propofol, ketamine, midazolam, remifentanil and other anesthetics into at least seven patients in 71 sessions, earning roughly 400 million KRW, while the co‑doctor performed 111 injections on eight patients, netting about 4.17 billion KRW. Together the scheme generated approximately 4.57 billion KRW in illicit revenue, which prosecutors have asked to be confiscated before trial. In addition to drug‑law violations, the doctors faced charges of illegal filming under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, having filmed patients’ bodies in 27 instances after removing their clothing. Police seized the clinic in Cheongdam‑dong and forwarded 14 suspects, including the two doctors, to the prosecution. The case also marked the first detection of illegal use of the sedative dexmedetomidine, prompting calls for swift regulatory action.