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Acupuncture needle found in ex-S.Korea president's lung

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SEOUL | Wed May 4, 2011 11:23am EDT

SEOUL (Reuters) - Former South Korean president Roh Tae-woo was admitted to hospital with a bad cough and ended up on the operating table to remove an acupuncture needle from his right lung.

Local media reports said Roh, 78, was released from Seoul National University Hospital Monday after surgery to remove the 6.5 cm needle.

Doctors are puzzled how the needle ended up in his lung, and acupuncturists say that none of their procedures involved penetrating the lung.

"I can't figure out how the needle got into there," Dr Sung Myung-whun was quoted as telling reporters at the hospital after the operation. "It is a mystery for me, too."

Roh, who served as president from 1988 to 1993, has been in poor health since 2002 when he received surgery for prostate cancer.

(Reporting by Dan-bee Moon; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

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Comments (1)
sheavsey wrote:
Here’s a thought: don’t stick needles into yourself at all, unless they are filled with scientifically proven vaccines. I guarantee it will work, and you’ll save South Korean taxpayer money in surgical fees in the process!

May 06, 2011 5:15am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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