[Nate] I-DLE'S MIYEON REPORTED FOR VIOLATION OF THE MEDICAL LAW AFTER SHOWING HER ENDOSCOPY PROCEDURE

A formal complaint has been filed requesting an investigation into whether a YouTube video documenting the health checkup and sedated endoscopy of Miyeon, a member of the group i-dle, violates medical laws.

On the 8th, an informant identified as "A" stated, "On the 7th, I submitted a petition via the government's 'People's Sinmungo' portal to the Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul, asking them to verify whether Miyeon's health checkup content constitutes medical advertising under current medical laws."

Previously, on the 1st, a video [...] was released on Miyeon's YouTube channel. The content documented her experience undergoing a health checkup for the first time upon turning thirty.

The specific parts of the video that "A" flagged as problematic were the scenes showing the administration of sedatives and the actual gastric endoscopy procedure. The original version of the video included footage of the sedative being administered, accompanied by a caption reading "Administering sleep anesthesia", as well as scenes of the endoscope being inserted into her mouth and the examination taking place in the endoscopy room. During this process, the name of a specific medical institution located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, along with its medical staff and facilities, was also revealed.

The text displayed inside the medical facility was also included in the complaint. The phrase "Health Checkup Center: Specialized Hospital for Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy" appears on a wall in the video.

Noting that public records identify the facility as a "clinic" (a lower-tier designation than a "specialized hospital"), "A" requested an investigation into whether it held specialized hospital status at the time of filming and posting, the circumstances behind the display and use of that phrase, and the appropriateness of the facility's name usage.

Discrepancies were reportedly found between the version of the video A. originally obtained and the version currently available to the public. "A" explained that mosaic blurring has since been applied to certain procedure scenes that were visible in the original version.

Based on this, "A" filed a formal complaint requesting an investigation into several aspects: whether the video constitutes "medical advertising" under the Medical Service Act; who the advertiser is; the extent of the medical institution's involvement in the video's production and filming; and whether the disclosure of information regarding the medical institution and staff, as well as actual footage of the procedure, complies with relevant laws. The complaint has currently been assigned to the Health and Medical Affairs Division of the Yongsan-gu Public Health Center.

"A" stated, "During a phone call on the 7th, the official explained that even if no payment is received, content featuring the hospital's name or showing the procedure being performed is considered medical advertising." "A" added, "I was also informed that if medical advertising by a non-medical professional is identified, the public health center can send official letters to relevant parties requesting the removal of the content or a switch to private status."

Guidelines on medical advertising published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare state that, regardless of whether payment is exchanged, any act of presenting or conveying information about medical practices, medical institutions, or medical personnel to consumers may qualify as medical advertising under the Medical Service Act and must comply with relevant regulations.

Meanwhile, the Healthcare Division of the Yongsan-gu Public Health Center is set to review the formal complaint regarding whether Miyeon’s YouTube video on her health checkup constitutes medical advertising; the review is expected to address the appropriateness of showing the sleep endoscopy procedure and the use of the term "specialized hospital."