In a move to counter medical malpractice and restore shaken public trust, South Korea has mandated the installation of surveillance cameras in operating rooms across the nation. This groundbreaking decision, primarily driven by disturbing incidents including unauthorized surrogate surgeries and sexual crimes, marks South Korea as the first country globally to enforce such a measure.

The mandate, part of the revised Medical Service Act, represents a significant shift in the dynamics of medical accountability, intending to safeguard unconscious or anesthetized patients at their most vulnerable. Yet it also ushers in complex debatesconcerning medical ethics, patient privacy and