Yeom, who illegally prescribed narcotics to the perpetrator of the Apgujeong Rolls-Royce hit-and-run case, leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, after a pretrial detention hearing on Dec. 27, 2023. Newsis

A doctor accused of sexually assaulting patients under anesthesia and prescribing narcotics to a driver of a Rolls-Royce involved in a fatal accident was sentenced to 16 years in prison in his second trial.

The Seoul High Court said Wednesday that its criminal division, led by presiding judge Hwang Jin-gu, sentenced doctor Yeom to 16 years in prison and imposed a fine of 5 million won ($3,800) for charges including violations of medical law.

The court reduced the sentence by one year from the 17-year term handed down in the first trial.

“As a doctor and authorized handler of narcotics, the defendant exploited his position to satisfy his deviant sexual desires," the court said in the ruling. "He committed crimes over an extended period, taking advantage of the victims' inability to remember due to sedation, demonstrating extremely poor moral character.”

Crimes involving drugs, sexual assault

Yeom was prosecuted for administering a combination of propofol and other narcotics to the Rolls-Royce driver involved in the Apgujeong Rolls-Royce hit-and-run case in August last year, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian. He also falsified medical records related to the case.

A forensic investigation of Yeom's phone uncovered evidence that he had sexually assaulted more than 10 women under sedation and illegally filmed the acts.

Additional charges under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, including unauthorized filming, quasi-rape and quasi-indecent assault, were filed against him.

While the first trial sentenced Yeom to 17 years in prison, the appellate court reduced the term, citing his remorse and efforts to compensate the victims, including a significant deposit for damages.

“The court considered the restitution efforts as a limited factor for sentencing but found that a heavy sentence was unavoidable given the severity of the crimes,” the court said.

The court emphasized the profound mental trauma suffered by the victims, noting that some experienced suicidal impulses, with one tragically taking her own life.

“The defendant has not received explicit forgiveness from any of the victims,” the court said. It also condemned Yeom for prioritizing profit over medical ethics, and using psychotropic drugs instead of providing proper treatment, which caused significant harm to society.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.