The tragic death of the late Shin Hae-chul has been revisited, evoking both sorrow and anger.

Shin Hae-chul passed away on October 27, 2014, due to hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. The surgeon who performed the operation was later indicted for professional negligence resulting in death, and a one-year prison sentence was finalized in the second trial and Supreme Court.

Amid this, KBS 2TV’s ‘Celebrity Soldier’s Secret,’ broadcast on the 5th, re-examined the full details surrounding Shin Hae-chul’s sudden death, which shocked South Korea in 2014.

At the time, Shin Hae-chul was in the midst of preparing an album after a six-year hiatus. However, he visited a hospital due to sudden abdominal pain and was diagnosed with intestinal stenosis, leading to surgery. The issue began when the surgeon remarked, “The surgery went well, and the stomach was also stitched up.” Questions arose about additional treatments unrelated to his condition.

A specialist appearing on the broadcast stated, “While reinforcement during intestinal stenosis surgery is possible, folding and suturing the stomach is not a standard treatment purpose. It is even harder to accept that this was done without the patient’s consent.” Indeed, Shin Hae-chul reportedly became furious upon later learning of this, asking, “Who dared perform such surgery?” This added to the tragedy.

The bigger problem occurred post-surgery. Even after discharge, Shin Hae-chul visited the hospital multiple times due to severe pain and received narcotic painkillers as his condition worsened. However, the medical team only conducted simple examinations, such as pressing on his abdomen, and took no active measures, citing no abnormalities in an electrocardiogram.

Eventually, on the fifth day after surgery, he returned to the hospital in the early morning. He complained of abdominal pain spreading to his chest, but the response was only a painkiller prescription. Shortly after the examination, he collapsed in the restroom, gasping for air, and never regained consciousness.

The autopsy results were even more shocking. A perforation was found in the pericardium, accompanied by peritonitis, pericarditis, and sepsis. Notably, foreign substances (sesame seeds) presumed to be food residue were discovered inside the pericardium, raising suspicions about the entire medical process. The case sparked significant social backlash beyond a simple medical accident.

Has Mr. A paid the damages to the bereaved family? Park Ho-gyun, a lawyer from Hippocrates Law Firm who represented the bereaved family of the late Shin Hae-chul, stated in a phone interview with OSEN, “That person has not paid the bereaved family anything as of four years later to the present. They are showing an attitude of ‘sue me.’” This re-examination of the case has reignited public anger.