A dermatology clinic sign in an urban area. This image is unrelated to the article. [Yonhap]
A dermatology clinic sign in an urban area. This image is unrelated to the article. [Yonhap]

The head of a dermatology clinic in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul has been detained on charges of illegally administering propofol to more than 20 patients on hundreds of occasions.

Seoul Central District Court Judge Lee Ji-young, who handles warrant reviews, held a pre-arrest hearing Monday morning for the suspect — a man in his 30s identified only by his surname — and issued a detention warrant, citing concerns about the destruction of evidence, according to Yonhap.

The suspect, who operates the dermatology clinic in Nonhyeon-dong, is accused of administering propofol to patients beyond its legitimate medical uses, such as anesthesia and sedation. He is suspected of illegally injecting the drug approximately 360 times to more than 20 patients between January last year and August.

Seoul Namdaemun Police Station conducted a search and seizure of the clinic in June and secured relevant materials. Officers then applied for a detention warrant against the suspect on Sept. 11.


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