"Planning a Trip to Tokyo but Facing Travel Ban... Is This North Korea?" Resident Doctor's Outcry

Military Manpower Administration Strengthens Guidelines for Residents' 'Overseas Travel Permission'
Applications Temporarily Held and Lists Reported to Headquarters
"Treated as Serious Criminals" vs "Resignation Letters Not Accepted"

"After my colleagues left, the workload piled up and it became so tough that a junior resident who resigned planned to take a break and travel to Tokyo, but the Military Manpower Administration banned their departure. Am I really living in North Korea? There was no official travel ban order, yet they were banned from leaving the country. Isn't this unconstitutional?"

On the 20th, residents from the Big 5 hospitals who stopped working as of 6 a.m. are waiting for the start of the 'Korean Intern Resident Association 2024 Emergency Temporary General Assembly' held at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Amid the Military Manpower Administration's directive to local offices to withhold approval and report the names of residents who have not completed their military service when they apply for overseas travel permission, a complaint surfaced on an online community from someone who verified their status as a doctor, claiming they were forcibly banned from leaving the country. On the 21st, the Military Manpower Administration stated in a document sent to local offices, "Regarding recent media reports on the 'mass resignation letters submitted by residents' amid the expansion of medical school quotas, we will operate the overseas travel permission guidelines for medical officer candidates (residents) in a more detailed manner until the situation stabilizes."

According to the Military Service Act, all South Korean men who have not fulfilled their military duty must obtain approval from the Military Manpower Administration before traveling abroad. Male doctors typically fulfill their military service by serving as military medical officers or public health doctors after completing their residency training, but until then, they hold the status of medical officer candidates. In such cases, a recommendation letter from their affiliated institution's head is required when applying for overseas travel permission.

"Resignation letters not accepted... Same as residents undergoing normal training"

On the 21st, visitors waiting for medical treatment at a large hospital in Seoul amid ongoing work stoppages following the resignation submissions by residents nationwide, including those at the Big 5 hospitals. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Recently, the government mandated that even if residents submit resignation letters due to collective action, they must obtain a recommendation letter from their affiliated institution's head, just like residents undergoing normal training. This is because their resignation letters have not been officially accepted yet, and they have become subjects of the government's work commencement order. However, if they have legitimately retired due to personal illness or other reasons and are not subject to the work commencement order, they may omit the recommendation letter as per current practice. Nevertheless, if no recommendation letter is submitted under any circumstances, approval will be withheld and the matter will be immediately reported to the headquarters via memo or other means.

Regarding this policy, the Korean Medical Association's Emergency Response Committee strongly criticized, saying, "The Military Manpower Administration sent a document equivalent to a travel ban order, which is usually imposed only on serious criminals," and added, "The government is equating doctors with violent criminals." Joo Suho, the committee's spokesperson, stated, "It makes no sense that even after submitting resignation letters, they must obtain approval from their affiliated organization heads. The government's suppression of residents' basic rights has reached an irrational level."

The Military Manpower Administration rebutted, saying, "It is not true that the Military Manpower Administration forcibly banned their overseas travel," and explained, "The resignation letters of residents, including medical officer candidates who have not completed military service and who started collective action in protest against the medical school quota increase policy, have not yet been accepted." They added, "To avoid confusion, we explained the existing position that, according to the Military Service Act, their overseas travel permission requires the consent of their affiliated institution's head."