Bail Hearing Scheduled for the Morning of the 23rd at the Central District Court,
An ultrasound photo of a YouTuber who claims to have had an abortion at 36 weeks pregnant. YouTube Capture.,
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, The police have requested arrest warrants for the director and the surgeon involved in the abortion of a 36-week-old fetus, which was documented in a vlog and uploaded to YouTube. This comes about three months after the investigation was requested by the police in mid-July.
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, On the 22nd, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Unit announced that they had applied for arrest warrants last week for the head of the obstetrics and gynecology clinic where the abortion was performed and the doctor who carried out the procedure. They are accused of charges including murder. A preliminary hearing for their detention will be held at 10:30 a.m. on the 23rd at the Seoul Central District Court.
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, The case drew significant attention after a vlog titled “I had an abortion at 36 weeks of pregnancy” was posted on June 27, causing controversy due to the advanced stage of the pregnancy. In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare requested an investigation on July 15 for the 20-something woman who uploaded the vlog and the operating doctor, accusing them of murder. The police initiated a formal investigation last month on the 12th after booking both individuals as suspects.
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, Initially, the hospital director was thought to be the surgeon, but it was confirmed that a different doctor, affiliated with another hospital, performed the surgery. His identity was initially concealed due to false statements from those involved in the incident, but he eventually confessed.
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, The police have charged a total of nine individuals, including the 70-something hospital director, the surgeon, an anesthetist who was present at the hospital’s request, three additional support medical staff (nurses and nurse assistants), the 20-something woman who uploaded the abortion vlog, and two brokers who referred patients to the hospital.
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, The director, the surgeon, and the woman face murder charges, while four other medical staff members have been charged with accessory to murder. The two brokers face charges of violating medical laws. In addition, the hospital director is also charged with violating medical laws for not having CCTV installed inside the hospital.
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, The police conducted a search and seizure at the hospital, securing cell phones, tablets, medical records, and other related materials. They have also received expert opinions, including from specialists in hospital obstetrics and gynecology, for a comprehensive analysis of the case. For the murder charge to hold, it must be proven that the fetus was alive at the time it was removed from the mother’s body and that the medical staff caused its death. Since arrest warrants have been applied for and issued, there is growing interest in whether the police have evidence suggesting that it was not stillbirth (where the fetus dies before it is completely separated from the mother).
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