In a trial presided over by Judge Yoo Dong Gyun of the Seoul Central District Court on March 5 KST, the prosecution urged the court to hand down a three-year prison sentence to Doctor A for violating the Narcotic Drug Control Act. Additionally, they requested a fine of 270,000 won.
Doctor A faced charges for self-administering propofol twice at a hospital in Gangnam-gu last year, without reporting it to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, despite administering the drug to actor Yoo Ah In on multiple occasions.
The prosecution emphasized that Doctor A administered propofol to Yoo Ah In a total of 17 times, yet failed to record it in the integrated narcotics management system, thereby neglecting to report it to the relevant authorities.
While Doctor A's lawyer admitted to all charges outlined in the indictment, they argued that the defendant's health was compromised, exacerbated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They pleaded for leniency, attributing the defendant's actions to mental distress and health issues.
Furthermore, the defense stressed that the failure to report Yoo Ah In's administration of propofol was more of a result of negligence rather than intent. They appealed for a lighter sentence, suggesting a fine rather than imprisonment, considering the defendant's remorse and reflection.
Expressing remorse, Doctor A stated, "I am reflecting and repenting" during the proceedings.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 4 KST, where the court will determine the final verdict.
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I agree with @AZbohemia, "The bottom line is there has to be a better way for Korea to deal with private use addiction rather than incarceration." Look at the opioid epidemic in America...the thousands of people that got addicted to Oxycotin was because it was a drug first of all made to give the same high as a schedule 2 narcotic i.e., heroin, morphine, etc...but it didn't last the 12 time release the pharmaceutical company Perdue Pharma made claims...they knew they were making a drug that would make people addicts. They only cared about the money. Perdue Pharma ruined a lot of people's lives before it was over, and the effects are still reverberating through families and society.
Perdue Pharma trained it's sales representatives to get Doctors to increase the dosage of the Oxycotin, and over prescribed to people. They even told doctors to suggest or rather put it out there to patient they could crush it and snort it. The Doctors forgot about their hypocritic oath, to do no harm because the more they prescribed, the more money they made. Doctors started taking cash payments for just writing the script...they became pill mill doctors only. They helped destroy people and their families.
If you guys haven't seen Netflix movie "Painkiller" which dramatizes the opioid epidemic created by Perdue Pharma, watch it...it's like 1980's when crack it the scene. There is also a documentary called "The Pharmacists," which is a true life story of a Pharmacist who lost his son to a bad drug deal...his son was murdered buying crack. That would later spur this guy to help take down doctors he noticed where over prescribing Oxycotin to people, even young teenagers.
I digress! I said that to say that Too Ah In is a victim...doctors gave him a drug that is highly addictive and when they noticed he had an addiction, they failed to refer him for treatment or speak to authorities then and alert them that a client may be doctor hoping, alleging the need for medical treatments, so he could get the drug. Just like Pharmacy's before and during the time the opioid crisis was happening in America, there was no tracking system, to alert the pharmacist that this person was given Oxycotin at the pharmacy down the street yesterday or this morning. There is no system/network in place for doctors or hospitals of any kind (that I know of) to alert a new doctor, that the person is potentially doctor hoping trying, to get drugs (a specific drug) e.g., propofol. If they had a network like this then You Ah In wouldn't have become an addict...that's the thought anyways.
I hope he gets treatment...and the doctor, needs to have his license suspended for a while...if he's truly repenting, he can repent while his licenses to practice is suspended for 3 years, instead of locking him up to be a burden on the citizens of South Korea. Because having no license to practice, after they worked hard through all that medical school, intern, residency, etc...is prison and punishment enough.
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