By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

A court ruled Thursday that a hospital should pay 38 million won ($30,000) in compensation to a 56-year-old man who suffers from permanent sexual dysfunction caused by penis enlargement surgery he underwent.

The man identified as Kim had the surgery in September 2005 and then found himself sexually impotent afterward.

Despite further operations and other treatment, he failed to recover, and filed a compensation suit against the hospital in 2006.

The Seoul Central District Court held the hospital liable for the accident, and estimated the amount of compensation based on the assumption that the sexual dysfunction deprived him of 15 percent of his capability to earn an income.

``It's based on the belief he can work with no health problems until the age of 60,'' said Judge Roh Ho-sung. ``We estimated his sexual incapacity will undermine 15 percent of his capability to earn money through labor up to that age.''

The hospital claimed Kim had a chronic problem prior to surgery, but the court refused to accept this.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr