Awwal 25, 1432 / April 29, 2011, SPA -- South Korean doctors removed a 6.5-centimetre acupuncture needle from the lung of former president Roh Tae Woo, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said Friday, according to dpa. The 78-year-old's family said Roh had undergone so many acupuncture treatments that it was unknown when and how the needle got into his lung. His doctors said the operation had been successful and Roh could leave hospital in a few days. The former general, who was president from 1988 to 1993, had complained about chest pain and a strong cough. The needle was detected in a x-ray. According to the Korea Times, representatives of the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine expressed doubt that the needle could have entered the body during normal treatment. "Even if he swallowed a needle, it couldn't have reached his lung. It would have been stuck in the throat," a doctor said.
