Severed Leg Found at South Korean Recycling Plant Identified as Medical Waste

A discovery at a resource recycling center in Incheon, South Korea, initially sparked fear and speculation after a human leg, severed below the knee, was found on March 10. The leg's length suggested the deceased could have been a student or a woman, leading to widespread public anxiety in the surrounding areas.

However, the mystery was resolved on March 18 when officials confirmed the leg was medical waste from a recent amputation. The leg belonged to an 80-year-old resident of a nursing home in Jung-gu, Incheon, who underwent the procedure on March 8 due to poor blood circulation causing leg necrosis. The nursing home had placed the amputated limb in a designated medical waste container.

Complications arose when a volunteer, mistaking the bandaged leg for discarded plaster material, placed it in a general recycling bag. This bag was then processed at the recycling facility, where workers discovered the leg on the afternoon of March 10, prompting a police investigation. For several days, authorities struggled to identify the "deceased," fueling rumors.

After seeing news reports, a nurse from the nursing home recognized the situation and reported it. Police collected DNA from the elderly patient, which matched the leg's DNA. While the nursing home has medical staff, including surgeons, it lacks an operating room. Police are now investigating whether the amputation was performed illegally, potentially violating medical law, and whether the facility breached waste management regulations.