Ministry of Health and Welfare: "8,816 Residents Resigned, 7,813 Left Workplaces"

71.2% of Residents Submit Resignation Letters

The number of residents who submitted resignation letters in opposition to the government's plan to increase medical school admissions rose by more than 2,000 in one day, from 6,415 to 8,816.

As of 10 p.m. on the 20th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that 8,816 residents, accounting for 71.2% of the total residents at 100 major training hospitals, had submitted resignation letters. The resignation letters have not been accepted.

The number of residents who left their workplaces was counted at 7,813, about 63.1% of the total residents, sharply increasing from 1,630 the previous day.

During on-site inspections, the Ministry issued work commencement orders to 5,397 residents who left their workplaces, excluding 715 residents who had already received such orders among the 6,112 residents confirmed to have left their workplaces.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Doctor Collective Action Damage Report and Support Center received a total of 58 damage cases by 6 p.m. on the same day. These mainly involved unilateral cancellations of medical appointments and indefinite postponements of surgeries. There were also cases where legal service support was requested for compensation due to surgery cancellations, which were referred to the Korea Legal Aid Corporation.

On the same day, Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at the 'Doctor Collective Action Central Accident Response Headquarters Briefing' held at the Government Complex Sejong, "Yesterday (the 20th), the Korean Medical Association Emergency Committee stated that issuing work commencement orders to residents who submitted resignation letters infringes on the constitutional freedom to choose one's occupation," adding, "Is it really a constitutional fundamental right to collectively resign all at once without giving hospitals any time to prepare, thereby endangering patients' lives?"

He continued, "I express deep regret and concern over the medical association's perception that places their rights above patients' lives."

Vice Minister Park emphasized, "The claim that the basic rights of residents engaging in collective action take precedence cannot override the essential basic right of the public to life," and added, "Article 59 of the Medical Service Act explicitly stipulates the government's authority to issue work commencement orders, and such orders cannot be refused without justifiable reasons."

He further stated, "The fundamental duty of medical professionals is to protect the health and lives of the public, and no collective action that threatens this can be justified," and urged, "I ask you to once again consider the Hippocratic Oath, which prioritizes patients' health and lives above all else."