Hospital to appeal court order to remove respirator

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- A hospital that has been treating a woman in a
vegetative state decided Wednesday to appeal a court ruling ordering
life-extending tubes to be removed from the patient.

Severance Hospital announced that it will bypass the state's high court and file
an appeal directly with the Supreme Court against a district court's decision to
recognize the patients' right to "die with dignity."
"We are going to lodge the appeal directly with the Supreme Court, as the
decision on euthanasia has great social impact," the hospital said.
The hospital, however, must gain the plaintiff's consent before filing the appeal
with the Supreme Court. Barring that, the hospital will have to go through the
high court.
The family of the terminally ill woman, identified only by her surname Kim,
sought a court's approval in June to remove the respiratory device as she has no
chance of recovery. The woman suffered cerebral damage and fell into a coma while
receiving a lung examination in February.
Seoul's district court ordered the hospital on Nov. 28 to turn off the
life-support equipment for the 75-year-old woman, marking the country's first
ruling involving a mercy killing.
brk@yna.co.kr
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