Korean psychiatrist may lose license after publicly diagnosing an actor based on social media activity

March 15, 2018

Korean psychiatrist Kim Hyun Chul, who publicly diagnosed South Korean actor Yoo Ah In of hypomania based solely on the actor's activity on social media, will be expelled from the Korean NeuroPsychiatric Association (KNPA).

Kim Hyun Chul is accused of breaking Article 19 of the medical law, which prevents anyone in medicine of spreading medical information about a patient to others, and also of using such information for the wrong reasons.

The KNPA is also going to be submitting a request to the Ministry of Health to either cancel or suspendhis medical license. The chairman of KNPA said, "After the ethics committee investigated, they found that Kim was committing various illegal acts, such as giving medicine to patients without a prescription, and getting treatment fees after a phone consultation."

SOURCE: "Psychiatrist who publicly diagnosed Yoo Ah In with hypomania may be losing his license," Allkpop, 12 Mar 2018, https://www.allkpop.com/article/2018/03/psychiatrist-who-publicly-diagnosed-yoo-ah-in-with-hypomania-may-be-losing-his-license.