Swede dies in South Korea after being rejected care by 21 hospitals

A Swedish national suffering from necrosis died in South Korea due to sepsis after being denied urgent medical treatment by 21 hospitals.

The individual, 64, suffered from a severe case of necrosis that required immediate medical intervention when he was handed over to South Korean police by the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul in December, according to reports in local media.

In an exclusive interview with the Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo, Aron Park, the police lieutenant who cared for the Swedish man, said it took rejections by 21 hospitals in the country’s capital to find one willing to perform the surgery.

Hospitals were reportedly reluctant to treat the individual due to his foreign nationality, the high cost of surgery, and concerns over reimbursement for his medical care.

The newspaper also says the man’s sister, who lives in Sweden, declined to cover the expense. 

Eventually, Hyuksin Seongmo Hospital in North Chungcheong Province, 86 km away from Seoul, agreed to perform the surgery seven days after Park began calling hospitals.

The hospital’s foundation covered the remaining costs of an approximate total of €10,000 for the surgery after the Swedish Embassy contributed €5,340.

Park, who helped the Swedish national using a translation app, expressed gratitude to the hospital that “did not turn away from the socially disadvantaged”.

The hospital also stated that its decision was influenced by its commitment to helping vulnerable individuals during the holiday season.

Medical intervention came too late

Despite a successful amputation, the patient’s severely weakened immune system led to complications.

He died of sepsis caused by pneumonia four days after the surgery on December 16, according to statements from the hospital shared with Hankook Ilbo.

The Swedish national entered South Korea in April 2024 on a visa-free tourist status but was later indicted for drug possession and placed under a travel ban.

In his first trial, he was acquitted due to evidence suggesting that his involvement in the crime was unintentional and linked to mental illness. However, his case was under appeal at the time of his death.

In December, the Swedish embassy requested protection for the man, who has not been named. 

According to the Korean Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers, police officers may escort individuals in need of emergency relief to healthcare institutions to provide necessary care if they are in a state of mental derangement or severe intoxication and unable to protect themselves, or if they are lost individuals, children, or others without a guardian or separated from their guardian. 

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Euronews Health contacted the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the hospital that treated the man, and the Korean police but did not receive a response at the time of publication.