Ulsan Hospital Fined 16 Million Won for Human Rights Violations: What You Need to Know

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South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has imposed fines totaling 16 million KRW (12,000 USD) on two officials from Ulsan’s Bangudae Hospital for refusing an NHRC-initiated probe into the alleged illegal confinement and inhumane treatment of patients with developmental disabilities. It is the largest fine the commission has levied against a psychiatric institution since its founding.

On the 19th, the NHRC said it fined the hospital’s administrative director 10 million KRW (7,500 USD) and the former administrative director 6 million KRW (4,500 USD).

During a November 2024 visit, NHRC investigators found evidence suggesting human rights violations at Bangudae Hospital — including illegal confinement and inhumane treatment — and upgraded the inquiry to an ex officio investigation. In January, however, the hospital refused the NHRC’s on-site interview inspection and failed to provide requested documents.

After initial rounds inside the hospital, NHRC investigators sought to carry out a detailed inspection of a ward linked to the alleged illegal confinement, review closed-circuit TV footage, and interview patients and staff in locked wards. The administrative director and the former administrative director restricted access, refused to hand over materials, and declined interviews.

The two officials also failed to submit records and a written statement about ward door locking mechanisms that the NHRC requested twice, in May and June of last year, as part of efforts to verify statistics on patients with developmental disabilities.

The NHRC said the preemptive refusal to be interviewed effectively obstructed its ability to conduct a substantive investigation.

This is the first time since August 2020 that the NHRC has issued fines of this scale; at that time it imposed a penalty of about 1 million KRW (750 USD).

Bangudae Hospital has been under scrutiny after a string of patient deaths linked to assaults between patients. According to investigative findings obtained by Rep. Kim Yeji of the People Power Party from the Ulsan Police, a person with an intellectual disability was assaulted by a fellow patient in July of last year and later died.

Separately from the fines, the NHRC carried out second and third on-site inspections last month and is continuing to investigate whether human rights violations occurred.