“증거 확보는 의료사고 피해자에게 진실 규명의 핵심 수단이다.”
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Police Agency announced on the 3rd that forcible searches in emergency rooms and essential medical fields will be limited to a minimum scope following two controversial police raids.
Government Guidelines Fail to Satisfy Medical and Patient Groups
- The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Police Agency held a joint meeting at the Government Seoul Complex to establish investigation guidelines for medical accidents in emergency rooms.
- Police will now coordinate with managers before entering emergency rooms and conduct investigations in non-treatment areas whenever possible.
- Both the Korean Patient Federation and the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine expressed dissatisfaction with the newly proposed guidelines.
Joint Meeting at the Government Seoul Complex
Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyeong and Acting Police Commissioner General Kim Jong-chul convened at the Government Seoul Complex on the afternoon of the 3rd to discuss investigative protocols for medical accidents occurring in emergency environments.
During the second raid, police executed a search and seizure warrant targeting a pediatric emergency room for the first time. Medical professionals argued that executing compulsory investigations in a 24-hour critical care environment compromises treatment continuity and endangers both patients and staff. Minister Jung previously stated during a parliamentary audit last month that the government would work with the police to establish investigation guidelines reflecting the unique characteristics of essential medical services.
New Protocols for Emergency Room Investigations
Under the newly outlined guidelines, police receiving 112 emergency calls regarding death accidents in emergency rooms or essential medical fields must first consult with facility managers before entering the scene. Officers are instructed to conduct business in spaces where emergency treatments do not take place. Investigators must also minimize disruption to medical equipment and systems while securing evidence necessary for patient safety and treatment continuity.
Search and seizure warrants will be restricted strictly to situations where suspicious circumstances warrant them under the Criminal Procedure Act. When compulsory searches are unavoidable, authorities will execute warrants in non-treatment areas first and coordinate with administrative and computer personnel regarding medical records. Minister Jung stated that the guidelines aim to create an environment where frontline medical staff can work without anxiety, adding that the ministry will continue discussions with the medical community and the National Police Agency.
Acting Commissioner General Kim noted that the police have consistently respected the expertise and special characteristics of medical sites, describing the new guidelines as a formalization of that operating principle.
Diverging Reactions From Patient and Medical Organizations
Patient and medical organizations responded to the joint announcement with opposing concerns. The Korean Patient Federation released a statement arguing that securing evidence is a core mechanism for victims of medical accidents to uncover the truth. The organization asserted that warrant executions should not be restricted merely because an incident occurs in an emergency room, warning that the measures could shrink medical accident investigations overall.
The federation called on the government to conduct a full investigation into emergency room search and seizure warrant applications, requests, issuances, and executions over the past decade. The group emphasized that patient organizations must be included in future guideline drafting processes to balance patient safety with evidence preservation.
Conversely, the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine criticized the draft as insufficient. The academic society stated that while attempting to organize reporting and search guidelines for essential medical sites is meaningful, the current proposal fails to resolve core issues in clinical environments. The society noted that provisions restricting searches to cases with suspicious circumstances under the Criminal Procedure Act merely restate general investigative principles.
The pediatric emergency society called for clear criteria explicitly limiting compulsory investigations unless exceptional circumstances such as murders or clear evidence destruction risks are identified. The organization added that the current draft omits mandatory prior consultation procedures involving medical experts and lacks concrete control mechanisms to prevent indiscriminate warrant executions.
| Organization | Stance on Guidelines | Key Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Korean Patient Federation | Negative (Fears compromised investigations) | Full audit of past warrants and inclusion of patient groups |
| Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine | Negative (Considers measures insufficient) | Explicit limits on compulsory searches and expert consultation |
