Medical Accident Investigation - Comprehensive Overview

Search Overview

We conducted comprehensive Google searches for medical accident reports related to clinics in the Gangnam/Seoul area. The search was performed in January 2026 using Korean and English keywords including "의료사고" (medical accident), "사망" (death), "부작용" (side effects), and clinic names.

Key Findings Summary

Our investigation found documentation of multiple serious medical incidents at Korean plastic surgery clinics. Below is a summary of the documented cases:

Named Clinics with Documented Incidents:

  1. ID Hospital (아이디병원) - 2021 brain hemorrhage during facial contouring surgery; patient transferred to university hospital, now suffering left-side paralysis
  2. Grand Plastic Surgery (그랜드성형외과) - 2013 Samcheok high school student (19) death after double eyelid and nose surgery; ghost surgery scandal; described by medical association as "worst human experimentation since WWII"
  3. Wonjin Plastic Surgery (원진성형외과) - 2014 female college student death after facial contouring surgery
  4. Small Face Plastic Surgery (작은얼굴성형외과) - 2016 Kwon Dae-hee (25) death case; led to "Kwon Dae-hee Law" for OR CCTV; doctor convicted, 3 years imprisonment; "factory-style surgery" with 4 operating rooms
  5. DA Plastic Surgery (디에이성형외과) - 2020 nursing assistant propofol self-administration death in operating room

Cases at Unnamed/Unidentified Clinics:

  1. 2020 Hong Kong Heiress Death (Bonnie Evita Law) - Died during liposuction and breast augmentation at Shinsa-dong, Gangnam clinic; doctor fined 3 million won
  2. 2023-2024 Chinese Tourist Deaths - Multiple deaths including necrotizing fasciitis/sepsis case; 29-year-old died after 3 liposuction surgeries in 2 weeks
  3. 2018 Chinese Teenager Death - 10s girl died after 11-hour fat transfer surgery; 500cc+ propofol administered; family awarded 240 million won
  4. 2018 Apgujeong Nose Surgery Death - 26-year-old university student died during rhinoplasty; improper single-handed CPR shown on CCTV
  5. 2019 Nonhyeon-dong Propofol Manslaughter - Plastic surgeon illegally administered propofol to girlfriend who died
  6. 2023 Gangnam Clinic Blindness/Paralysis - 50-year-old male lost vision in right eye; 20s female suffered facial paralysis from nerve damage
  7. 2014 Shinsa-dong Combined Surgery Death - 34-year-old woman died during liposuction and rhinoplasty
  8. 2014 Nonhyeon-dong Liposuction Death - 54-year-old woman died during abdominal liposuction
  9. 2014 Busan Jaw Surgery Death - 33-year-old woman died 3 days after jaw surgery
  10. M Plastic Surgery Brain Hemorrhage - Facial contouring caused brain damage; 1.1 billion won compensation awarded
  11. Y-zone Filler Deaths - 2 women (ages 35, 38) died from vascular occlusion after vaginal filler procedures
  12. 2021 Nursing Student Death - 22-year-old died during facial contouring at "12 years no accidents" clinic; CCTV revealed dual-patient operating rooms, nurses performing sutures
  13. 2013 High School Student Brain Death - Post-exam surgery patient in vegetative state for months after double eyelid and nose surgery

Statistics

  • Anesthesia-related deaths: 82 deaths from 105 reported disputes over 5 years (16 deaths per year on average)
  • Sedation anesthesia accidents: 39 cases with 30 deaths (77% fatality rate); 9 out of 10 occurred when non-anesthesiologist performed procedure
  • Ghost surgery victims: Over 100,000 since 2008 according to Korean Society of Plastic Surgeons
  • Medical disputes (2015-2019): 174 plastic surgery cases assessed; 35.1% found "inappropriate" medical treatment
  • Consumer complaints: 16,354 plastic surgery complaints (2011-2014)

Patterns Identified

  • High-risk procedures: Facial contouring, double jaw surgery, liposuction, and fat transfer surgeries appear most frequently in death/serious injury reports
  • Common issues: Excessive blood loss, improper patient monitoring, delayed emergency response, propofol misuse, excessive surgery duration (8-11+ hours)
  • "Factory-style surgery": Multiple cases involve surgeons performing multiple procedures simultaneously with multiple operating rooms
  • Foreign patient vulnerability: Chinese and other foreign tourists appear overrepresented in recent death cases
  • Specialist qualifications: Reports indicate 70-80% of problematic cases involve non-board-certified plastic surgeons
  • Ghost surgery: Patients operated on by different doctors than consented to while under anesthesia

Legal Changes Following Accidents

  • Kwon Dae-hee Law (권대희법): Operating room CCTV installation mandatory for procedures under general or sedation anesthesia since 2021
  • Patient/guardian can request: Recording of surgery footage
  • Retention period: Footage must be kept for minimum 30 days
  • 2024 Status: All 2,413 required medical institutions have installed CCTV

Resources for Patients

  • Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (한국의료분쟁조정중재원): www.k-medi.or.kr - File complaints and seek mediation
  • Korea Consumer Agency (한국소비자원): www.kca.go.kr - Report consumer issues
  • Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons: www.plasticsurgery.or.kr - Verify if your surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon
  • Emergency: 119 for medical emergencies in Korea
  • Police: 112 to report suspected medical negligence

Safety Tips for Patients

  • Verify your surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon (성형외과 전문의)
  • Ask if the clinic has an anesthesiologist (마취통증의학과 전문의) on staff - preferably one who will only monitor YOUR surgery
  • Confirm the clinic has operating room CCTV (required by law since 2021)
  • Avoid clinics that pressure you into immediate surgery
  • Be cautious of "package deals" combining multiple procedures in one session
  • Avoid multiple surgeries in short periods (some fatalities involved 3 surgeries in 2 weeks)
  • Ensure you have access to emergency transfer to a major hospital if needed
  • Ask how many patients are scheduled for surgery on your day
  • Request to know who will actually perform your surgery

Important Disclaimers

  1. The absence of search results does not guarantee the absence of medical incidents. Some incidents may not be publicly reported.
  2. Information found during searches reflects publicly available news and may not represent final legal judgments.
  3. This search was conducted in January 2026 and may not include more recent incidents.
  4. Patients should always conduct their own research and consult multiple sources before choosing a medical provider.
  5. Minor complications and side effects are common in cosmetic procedures and may not be classified as "medical accidents" under Korean law.
  6. Some cases are under litigation or appeal; outcomes may change.

Last Updated: January 2026

Total Documented Cases in This Database: 22+ incidents