A man in his 70s has been arrested for illegally administering acupuncture treatments at higher costs than typical oriental medicine clinics. According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, the man, identified as Mr. A, has been charged with violating medical laws for conducting unauthorized medical procedures without a license and has been referred to the prosecution. From 2022 to recently, he allegedly traveled across various locations nationwide, including Jeju, Seoul, and Busan, providing illegal acupuncture treatments to over 120 patients suffering from illnesses like dementia and cancer.
The investigation revealed that Mr. A charged approximately 50,000 won per acupuncture session, about five times the usual rate of a regular oriental medicine clinic, amassing illegitimate profits amounting to around 20 million won over four years. He was found to have deceived seriously ill patients by claiming he could cure any disease that they had been unable to treat. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency’s Seogwipo Police Department stated that the earnings calculated were based on bank transfers, but as Mr. A received most payments in cash, his actual earnings are believed to exceed hundreds of millions of won.
Additionally, the agency confirmed several serious harm cases among the patients who received illegal treatments, some experiencing inflammations in their blood. The police agency indicated that Mr. A has a history of the same crime dating back to around 2000, having received fines six times for similar offenses. Due to the severity of the crime, they decided to proceed with an arrest referral.
According to current medical laws, it is prohibited for non-medical personnel to perform medical acts, and violations can result in imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.