The psychiatrist fiancé of K-pop idol and actress Hani of group EXID is under investigation by the police after a patient in a psychiatric hospital run by him died.
Yang Jae-woong is a TV personality and CEO of Women’s Jin Hospital located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Korean TV channel SBS reported on July 30 that a 33-year-old woman was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Bucheon for treatment of addiction to narcotic diet pills in May.
EXID member Hani with her psychiatrist fiancé Yang Jae-woong (Instagram)
On May 27, the patient died 17 days after being admitted to the hospital run by Yang Jae-woong.
On May 31, it was reported that Hani, 32, and psychiatrist Yang Jae-woong, 42, will get married in September. The following day, June 1, Hani announced on Instagram that she is getting married
The SBS report included CCTV footage showing hospital staff tying up the patient’s hands and feet while she was complaining of stomach pain and not taking any special measures against the patient who was bleeding from the nose and gasping for breath.
The patient, a 33-year-old woman, who died in a psychiatric hospital run by Yang Jae-woong (Screenshot from SBS News video)
The cause of her death was suspected to be Intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Although the woman’s stomach was significantly distended compared to when she was first admitted, her family said she was not recommended for any other treatment.
“Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a condition in which there are symptoms of blockage of the intestine (bowels) without any physical blockage. In intestinal pseudo-obstruction, the intestine is unable to contract and push food, stool, and air through the digestive tract. The disorder most often affects the small intestine, but can also occur in the large intestine,” according to the Penn Medicine website.
The woman lost consciousness, and CPR was attempted, but she eventually died.
After the woman died, her family filed a complaint with the police last month against Yang Jae-woong and the medical staff for abandonment and professional negligence resulting in death.
Yang Jae-woong issued an apology through his agency, Mystic Story, on July 29.
"I and the entire medical staff cannot hide our heartbreaking feelings regarding the incident that occurred during the hospitalization process, and we sincerely apologize to the bereaved family who are grieving the loss of the deceased and their family," he said.
He added, "Our hospital is doing its best to cooperate with external organizations in the ongoing investigation, including providing CCTV footage that captures the situation at the time as well as the medical chart." He continued,
"Not only I, the hospital director, but all of the medical staff will sincerely cooperate with the ongoing investigation as much as possible and take responsibility according to the medical and legal judgment made accordingly," he said.