Kwon Dae-hee Medical Accident and Death Case (권대희법)

Incident Overview

On September 8, 2016, 25-year-old Kwon Dae-hee, a Kyung Hee University student, underwent facial contouring surgery at Small Face Plastic Surgery (작은얼굴성형외과) located in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. He died 49 days later on October 26, 2016.

Detailed Account

  • Date of Surgery: September 8, 2016
  • Patient: Kwon Dae-hee, male, age 25 (Kyung Hee University student, recently discharged from military)
  • Procedures: Square jaw reduction and chin reduction surgery
  • Critical Issue: Patient lost 3.5 liters of blood (equivalent to blood volume of a 45kg adult woman)
  • Negligence: Patient was left in the operating room for 7 hours without proper intervention while "assembly-line style" surgeries continued
  • Transfer: Eventually transferred to university hospital but it was too late
  • Outcome: Died after 49 days in ICU due to hypovolemic shock

Problems Identified

  • Patient's name was incorrectly written on consent form - hospital failed to verify ID
  • No blood supply available at the facility despite the invasive nature of the surgery
  • Staff prioritized "assembly-line" surgical schedule over patient emergency
  • Hospital advertised "14 years accident-free" after this incident
  • Nursing assistants were allegedly performing unlicensed medical procedures

Legal Proceedings

  • August 19, 2021 (1st Trial): Hospital director sentenced to 3 years imprisonment
  • May 19, 2022 (Appeal): Sentence upheld - 3 years imprisonment + 10 million won fine
  • January 12, 2023 (Supreme Court): Guilty verdict finalized, appeal rejected
  • Civil Case: Court ordered hospital to pay 430 million won in damages to bereaved family

Important Disclaimer

This information is based on official court rulings and news reports. The case has been finalized by the Supreme Court of Korea.

Sources

  • 나무위키 - 권대희 의료사고 및 사망 사건
  • 경향신문 (khan.co.kr) - Supreme Court ruling coverage
  • 오마이뉴스 (ohmynews.com) - Family interview
  • 뉴스핌 (newspim.com) - Supreme Court confirmation