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Lawsuit over alleged removal from hospital of businessman with Alzheimer’s dismissed
A mother and son, who filed a lawsuit over the alleged removal from a hospital in South Korea of a 73-year-old businessman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, have voluntarily dismissed the case.
Koom Nye Kim and her son, Sang Hun Lee, through counsel David G. Banes, filed on Friday in the Superior Court a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice against the 73-year-old Byung Deuk Lee and Ji Sook Lee.
Dismissal without prejudice means the plaintiffs may re-file the case in the future.
Banes did not specifically indicate the reason behind the dismissal.
San Hun Lee is the son of Kim and Byung Deuk Lee.
Ji Sook Lee is the half-sister of San Hun Lee and Young Shin Lee. She is daughter of Byung Deuk Lee.
The mother and son are suing Ji Sook Lee, who allegedly removed Byung Deuk Lee from a hospital in South Korea, where he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, kept him away from his family, then traveled to Saipan to control all of his businesses and property.
Banes noted at a hearing last month that three medical institutions—two in Korea and one on Saipan—determined that Byung Deuk Lee is not competent because he has Alzheimer’s and other cognitive and memory impairments.
Attorney Robert T. Torres, counsel for Byung Deuk Lee, told Saipan Tribune yesterday that the decision by plaintiffs and purported petitioners for his client’s guardianship to dismiss their action, whether strategic or sincere, speaks for itself.
Torres said Byung Deuk Lee has spoken for himself, is fine, and is control of his business interests and his mental faculties.
“Now he will attend to enjoying his life and dealing with whatever course may follow with his family members given their ill-treatment of him,” Torres said.
