Malpractice Caused Singer Sin Hae-cheol's Death

Malpractice is the cause of singer Sin Hae-cheol's death in October last year, police in Songpa, Seoul have concluded.

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Police will now send the case to prosecutors, who are expected to charge Kang Se-hoon, the doctor who operated on the singer, with involuntary manslaughter.

Sin complained of chest pain after undergoing intestinal surgery at Sky Hospital in southern Seoul, and died of a heart failure a few days later.

According to police, Kang stapled Sin's stomach without his consent and in the process accidentally punctured the small intestine and pericardium, causing peritonitis and blood poisoning.

Police say Kang failed to find the cause of the pain and take necessary steps after the surgery.

"No treatment was carried out even though a post-surgery chest X-ray image showed peritonitis symptoms", a police officer said. "Kang prescribed painkillers for the patient, who complained of severe pain, and merely told him to put up with the pain as he was recuperating".

Kangin a press release denied the charge. "I sought consent from Sin in advance for the stomach surgery and told him to stay in hospital when he complained of pain, but he refused", he said.