"Supporting Doctors"... Restaurant Offering Unlimited Alcohol to Residents

Seoul BBQ Restaurant Hosting 'Doctor Support' Event Gains Attention

As residents are submitting mass resignations in protest against the government's medical school expansion policy, a barbecue restaurant has attracted attention by holding an 'Unlimited Alcohol for Residents' event.

A barbecue restaurant located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, has been running an alcohol provision event for medical students opposing the medical school expansion policy since the 20th. The restaurant promoted the event with the phrase "We support the doctors," stating, "If the group includes at least one resident, trainee, or medical student, unlimited free alcohol is provided during the meal."

Promotional material for a 'Doctor Support Event' at a Seoul barbecue restaurant posted on Facebook [Image source=Facebook capture]

The restaurant is a high-end establishment selling Hanwoo beef. The event period is from the 20th, when the mass resignation of residents began, until further notice. The restaurant also added, "Parking is available, and we have presentation-capable seating for 6, 8, and 16 people."

The owner, Mr. A, said in a phone interview with a media outlet, "I thought the government's newly introduced medical package was not appropriate," which led him to prepare the resident support event. He also emphasized the need to improve medical fees for essential departments currently facing staffing shortages, such as pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the 21st, 9,275 residents at 100 major training hospitals submitted resignation letters. The number of residents who left their workplaces reached 8,024, an increase of 211 compared to the previous count. However, the government is responding by issuing orders to all training hospitals nationwide to "prohibit acceptance of collective resignation letters" in accordance with the Medical Service Act and specialist training regulations.

At frontline hospitals, surgery schedules are being adjusted due to medical staff shortages. The government raised the health and medical disaster crisis alert to the "severe" level starting from 8 a.m. on the 23rd.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated, "We will form the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) and enter a full government response system together with related ministries and 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide."