Police Execute Search Warrant at WJin Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province

Police have conducted a search at WJin Hospital in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where director Yang Jae-woong is in charge, in relation to a 'patient death incident'.

On the 16th, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit announced that a search warrant was executed at the hospital on the 14th.

The police reportedly secured various electronic evidence necessary for the investigation, including the mobile phones of hospital medical staff, including Yang Jae-woong, and internal CCTV footage.

A police official stated, "This initial search warrant was executed to conduct a more thorough investigation," adding, "As this is an ongoing investigation, it is difficult to provide detailed explanations."

Given that the case is entangled in a complex medical dispute, the police have decided that the investigation will be handled not by a local station but by the provincial police. As a result, the case, which was previously under the jurisdiction of the Wonmi Police Station in Bucheon, was transferred to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit on the 31st of last month.

Previously, on May 27 of last year, a 30-year-old woman, referred to as A, who was hospitalized for treatment of weight loss drug addiction, died 17 days after her admission at Yang Jae-woong's hospital.

According to the autopsy report, the cause of A's death was suspected to be 'acute pseudo-obstruction'.

The family of A claims that she was subjected to unjust isolation and coercion during her hospitalization and did not receive appropriate medical treatment, leading to her death. They filed a complaint against Yang Jae-woong and five other hospital officials for negligent homicide and occupational negligence.

In response, Yang Jae-woong, who appeared as a witness during the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee's audit in October of last year, stated, "I apologize once again for not being able to safely ensure recovery for those who trusted our hospital and admitted themselves," but when asked if he acknowledged the hospital's negligence, he replied, "I do not acknowledge it."

Image Sources: Yang Jae-woong / News1, SBS '8 News'