Unreturned Residents Face 'License Suspension' Process... Advance Notification Letters Begin Sending

The procedure to suspend the medical licenses of residents who collectively resigned in protest against the government's announcement to increase the number of medical school students and have not returned to hospitals has been initiated.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, from the afternoon of the 5th, administrative disposition preliminary notices began to be sent to residents confirmed to have left.

Amid the ongoing intense standoff between the government and the medical community over the increase in medical school admissions, medical staff are moving at a large hospital in Seoul on the 29th, the government's deadline for residents who left hospitals to return. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

A Ministry of Health and Welfare official stated, "We cannot disclose at this time how many people were sent notices today or who is included," adding, "staff members are sending preliminary notices to those who left at each hospital," and "tomorrow, the sending will be carried out more actively."

The administrative disposition in the notice is the suspension of medical licenses for three months for violating the order to resume work.

Since the 4th, the Ministry has been conducting on-site inspections of training hospitals to confirm whether residents have left medical sites. Among 100 major training hospitals, on-site inspections were conducted at 50 hospitals the previous day, and on the day of the report, inspections were carried out at the remaining 50. Local governments conduct on-site inspections for other training hospitals.

By the 29th of last month, the Ministry had received confirmation letters from 100 major training hospitals stating that 7,854 residents had not complied with the order to commence (return to) work.

In addition to administrative dispositions, the Ministry is also considering police reports against the 'ringleaders' who led the collective resignation.

At a briefing on the day, Deputy Minister Park Min-su emphasized the government's strict response policy again, saying, "Medical associations say 'the government cannot defeat doctors,' but doctors cannot defeat the people," and "The government will correct the mistaken perceptions that have been solidified through past experiences where reforms were blocked by doctors' opposition."