A woman allegedly attacked a psychiatry professor at Seoulโs Severance Hospital with a kitchen knife carried in a shopping bag, and police sought an arrest warrant on an attempted-murder charge. The attack came despite the Im Se-won Act, introduced after a 2018 doctorโs killing and implemented in 2020 to strengthen penalties and require security staff and emergency alarm equipment in medical institutions.
Police recorded about 9,061 violent crimes at medical institutions from 2021 through 2025, while reports of obstruction in emergency medical care totaled 3,381 during the same period, a separate measure of disruption. Enforcement remains limited because compliance is often assessed through submitted materials, regular statutory site inspections are lacking, and safety guidelines issued in 2023 are largely recommendations.