유령수술 공개에 따른 명예훼손에 관한 판례 고찰 및 시사점 : 서울고등법원 2020. 9. 11. 선고 2019노2201 판결 중심으로

Despite the increased social demand for strengthening the punishment for ghost surgery in Korea, the governmental management is very passive compared to other offenses of medical law, and the punishment for ghost surgery is insufficient, so that medical malpractices are continuously occurring. A plastic surgeon who posted the names of clinics performing ghost surgery and the number of deaths on the internet bulletin board, was charged with the violation of the Information Telecommunication Act(defamation). Thus, this study aimed to present the legal/institutional issues and implications of defamation by the release of ghost surgery, by initially examining the charged case after posting the contents showing the death of patients by ghost surgery in clinics on the internet bulletin board. This study aimed to understand how strictly the court approached the ghost surgery in the aspect of public interest, and also to understand the judgment standard of punishment for defamation by investigating the publicly alleging facts and public interest by the disclosure of ghost surgery. Moreover, this study aims to provide the basic data necessary for guaranteeing the national health right by arousing attention to ghost surgery.