Seoul Family Court and Seoul Administrative Court buildings in Yangjae-dong, Seocho District, Seoul.
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court has ruled that the government must compensate the family of a man who died of a brain hemorrhage a week after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, marking a rare legal victory for claimants seeking recognition of vaccine-related injuries.
The Seoul Administrative Court said in a ruling recently that there was sufficient basis to find a causal link between the man’s death and his inoculation, overturning the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s earlier rejection of the family’s compensation claim.
The man, identified only as A, received a Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 28, 2021. He collapsed two hours later and was diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage. Despite treatment, he died on Jan. 4, 2022. Doctors also discovered he had moyamoya disease, a rare cerebrovascular disorder, during treatment — a condition that had not been previously diagnosed.
Health authorities had denied the family’s request for compensation, arguing his death was caused by hemorrhage unrelated to the vaccine. But the court disagreed, citing the lack of any prior cerebrovascular symptoms, the timing of his collapse, and research suggesting vaccines could exacerbate moyamoya-related risks.
“It is reasonable to assume that the vaccination aggravated the moyamoya disease and led to the fatal hemorrhage,” the court said, noting that fever and elevated blood pressure — common post-vaccine reactions — can alter blood flow and trigger complications.
The ruling also highlighted the exceptional approval process for COVID-19 vaccines, which were authorized under emergency procedures. “The possibility of adverse effects and their probabilities remain not fully established,” the bench said.
Legal experts said the decision could influence future compensation claims by setting a precedent that courts may adopt a broader interpretation of causality when vaccine injuries are alleged.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
