Residents and Medical Students File Administrative Lawsuit Against Government, Propose Public Debate with Minister of Education and Welfare

Lawsuit and Constitutional Complaint Filed Against Lee Ju-ho and Cho Kyu-hong
"Government Announcement is Deceptive to the Public"
Proposal for Live TV Debate with the Two Ministers

Residents, medical school professors, and medical students have filed an administrative lawsuit against the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health and Welfare in opposition to the increase in medical school admissions. They also proposed a public debate on the topic of medical school expansion.

Park Dan, the emergency committee chair of the Korean Intern Resident Association, representatives of residents from various training hospitals, medical student representatives, medical school professor representatives, and representatives of examinees (applicants under the Higher Education Act) announced on the 12th that they filed an administrative lawsuit and requested a suspension of execution at the Seoul Administrative Court against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho and Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong. They also plan to file a constitutional complaint and provisional injunction with the Constitutional Court.

Lee Byung-chul, a lawyer from Chan Jong Law Firm representing the legal interests of the National Association of Medical School Professors (Jeonui Gyohyeop), stated on the same day, "The only case of suddenly changing the college entrance examination system five months before the university entrance exam was when the Chun Doo-hwan regime abolished the main college entrance exam immediately after the Gwangju massacre in 1980." He added, "Changing the university entrance examination implementation plan and admission guidelines (increasing medical school admissions by 2,000 and regional talent by 60%) is impossible under the Higher Education Act, and the government's announcement is a fraud deceiving the public."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Adjusting quotas for university structural reform is a policy implemented by Minister Lee to consolidate universities and reduce admission quotas," and argued, "Claiming that increasing medical school admissions falls under this is an admission manipulation that mocks the public."

He also criticized Minister Cho, saying, "It is a disruption of national order that the Minister of Health and Welfare announced to the public on February 6 that he decided to increase medical school admissions by 2,000 and notified the Minister of Education," pointing out that "although the Minister of Education, as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, is a superior authority to the Minister of Health and Welfare under the Government Organization Act, the Minister of Health and Welfare notified the superior authority."

He then proposed that Ministers Lee and Cho hold a live public debate in front of the public.