Shin Hae-chul’s widow advocating new law
The widow of late singer Shin Hae-chul, Yun Won-hee, submitted a petition to the National Assembly on Monday urging it to pass the so-called Shin Hae-chul Law as soon as possible.
Along with Yun, Namgoong Yeon, a long-time musician friend of Shin’s, and an official fan club of the late singer showed up at the National Assembly.
The petition reportedly details the purpose of the Shin Hae-chul Law and why it must be passed by the National Assembly.
“It was a painful experience for my family, so we wanted to help some people who are having similar experiences,” Yun told reporters.
Shin passed away on Oct. 27, 2014, due to medical malpractice after undergoing abdominal surgery. The direct cause of his death was cerebral hypoxia, a condition in which oxygen is restricted from reaching the brain.
Under the current law, people who think they are victims of medical malpractice can ask for help from the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, and then the agency begins mediation, but doctors are able to refuse the mediation.
Under the Shin Hae-chul Law, however, the arbitration agency can begin mediation without the doctor’s consent.
“Although we have this agency which mediates between families and doctors, it’s not really working well because doctors are able to refuse the mediation,” Namgoong said. “We don’t see doctors as enemies of patients, but we just want everything to be judged in fair ways.”
Meanwhile, the legal battle between Shin’s family and the doctor who performed Shin’s abdominal surgery is still ongoing.
BY SUNG SO-YOUNG
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)