Doctor indicted for lethal injection

Prosecutors indicted a 44-year-old obstetrician, surnamed Kim, on charges of dumping the dead body of a patient-turned-friend after the patient died following a lethal injection of a cocktail of drugs last month.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office also accused the doctor of professional negligence resulting in death and violation of medical law and drug regulations.

Prosecutors said on Wednesday they found the doctor had injected a total of 13 different drugs into the 30-year-old patient, surnamed Lee, on July 31 in his clinic in Gangnam District, resulting in Lee’s death.

Midazolam, a drug used to ease moderate to severe insomnia, and anesthetics such as Valeron, Naropin and lidocaine, were among the 13 illegally injected drugs the doctor used on Lee.

The suspect drove the vehicle to a parking lot next to a Han River park, in Jamwon, Seocho District, southern Seoul, and abandoned the vehicle with the body inside.

Prosecutors said they didn’t charge the suspect with murder as they failed to spot motives for him to kill the patient.

By Moon Byung-joo, Kang Jin-kyu [jkkang2@joongang.co.kr]