While a platform service created by some startups was caught up in controversy over illegality, a user, not an operator, was convicted for the first time.
According to the legal community today (2nd), the 9th independent criminal judge (Judge Chae Hee-in) of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced doctor A, charged with violating the medical law, to a fine of 3 million won on the 26th of last month.
From December 2015 to May 2018, Mr. A, who runs a dermatology clinic in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was introduced to 1,132 patients through the beauty and medical information platform 'Gangnam Unnie'. After a summary indictment in July last year on charges of paying over 1 million won, he requested a formal trial.
The other three people who were summaryly indicted with Mr. A did not request a formal trial, so the punishment was confirmed with a summary order.
Gangnam unnie operated a revenue model that promotes the hospital or connects with users through the app, and receives a commission from the hospital when users purchase product coupons in the app.
The current medical law prohibits the practice of introducing, arranging, or enticing patients to medical institutions or medical personnel for profit.
Prosecutors judged that such a profit model could violate the medical law and handed over Hong Seung-il, CEO of Healing Paper, the operator of Gangnam sister, to trial.
In the first trial in January of this year, Hong was sentenced to 8 months in prison and 2 years of probation and appealed.
After Hong's sentencing, Gangnam Unnie's side said, "I am deeply reflecting on not thoroughly verifying the legality of the revenue model at the time of the initial service."
This is the first time that a user, not an operator, has been found guilty after a formal trial in a platform service that has been in conflict over illegal controversies such as Gangnam Unnie, LoTalk, and Jarvis & Villains.
Meanwhile, Law & Company, which operates the legal service platform RoTalk, has been accused of violating the Attorney Law several times, but all of them have been acquitted until recently.
The Korean Bar Association filed a disciplinary action against 53 lawyers who used Lotok twice in the past month.
In addition, Jarvis & Villains, which operates a tax filing assistance service 'Samcham Sam', was accused of violating the Tax Law Act by the Korean Tax Association in March last year and is currently under investigation by the police.
As such, conflicts between professional professions such as lawyers, doctors, and tax accountants and new platform services are occurring, and the platform conflict is expanding in all directions.