Hospital changes cause of death of farmer activist

SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- Seoul hospital on Thursday officially changed the cause of death of a farmer who died after being hit by a police water cannon during a protest in 2015, after the matter fueled controversy.

The activist farmer, Baek Nam-gi, was struck by a police water cannon in November 2015 during the largest anti-government demonstration under former President Park Geun-hye. He died in September 2015 after 317 days in a coma at the Seoul National University Hospital.

After the hospital announced that the activist had died of kidney failure, hundreds of students and other supporters demanded an autopsy, saying that the hospital is shifting responsibility from the government to the victim's family.

On Thursday, the hospital said it has revised the cause of death of Baek from illness to external injury after getting input from a doctors' organization.

"I want to deliver a word of sincere apology to the victim's family who have suffered losses for such a long time," Kim Yeong-soo, vice-president of the hospital said.

The hospital said it will issue a new death certificate after consulting with the family members of the deceased.

khj@yna.co.kr
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