An 83-year-old man has been charged with murder after he disconnected his wife’s respirator. Mr. Shim said he couldn’t watch his wife suffer any longer and decided to cut the respirator with a knife on May 5 at Chonbuk National University Hospital’s intensive care unit. His 77-year old wife has been suffering from lung cancer for the past six years and has been taken to the hospital a number of times this year alone. She was brought again to the hospital on May 4 when her heart stopped beating and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Shim said he wanted to take his wife home but the hospital objected. The man suddenly disconnected the respirator in the presence of other family members but they were not able to stop him. The man wanted his wife to die comfortably than prolonging her life artificially since there’s no chance of revival, saying, “this was my last gift to her”. The man was charged without detention in consideration of his old age.
