Leukemia Patient, Welder, Doctor and Judge... Collection of Doctors' Controversial Remarks Continues to Grow

Criticism Statement from Leukemia Patients' Association on Remarks by Gangseo Medical Association President
Pediatric Society President Belittles Welding as a Job
Doctor YouTubers Say "Extending a Painful Life" and "Five People Palpate the Chest" Remarks

On the 11th, patients are being moved at a secondary general hospital in Seoul amid ongoing collective actions by doctors, centered around residents. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

"Doctors are like white blood cells, the immune cells that protect the health of the people. If you force an increase in their numbers, it could lead to leukemia, which is characterized by abnormal white blood cells."

"It is obvious without even looking whether doctors who are not properly trained will harm or help public health. If you want to be recorded as the ‘Leukemia Government’ that caused leukemia in the Republic of Korea, you may go ahead and enforce the increase."

On the 14th, Jo Yong-jin, president of the Seoul Gangseo District Medical Association, referred to doctors as ‘immune cells, white blood cells’ and the government as the ‘Leukemia Government’ during the Seoul Medical Association’s rally held in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office to oppose the increase in medical school quotas and the essential medical package. When this remark sparked controversy, the Korea Leukemia Patient Association issued a statement on the 18th criticizing it as "an inappropriate remark that infringes on patients’ human rights and undermines their will to fight the disease by negatively comparing leukemia while condemning the government’s policy to increase medical school quotas." The patient association emphasized, "It is deplorable that in this extreme situation where leukemia patients, their families, doctors, and nurses must endure more than usual, patients have to hear remarks from doctors that do not support but rather discourage their will to fight. We hope that the medical community and the government will empathize even a little with the patients’ anxiety, pain, and anguish with a spirit of shared suffering (同病相憐)."

Representatives from the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Self-Employed Businesses, the Consumer Alliance for Reviving Neighborhood Markets, and Voters' Civic Action held a press conference on March 5th at the rear gate of the Korean Medical Association building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, supporting the government's medical reform and condemning the collective actions of specialists. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Doctors who are collectively opposing the government’s plan to increase medical school quotas are repeatedly making offensive remarks. The problem is that even if these remarks are directed at the government, the metaphors used in these offensive comments are hurting important members of our society. On the 3rd, Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Society, posted on social media, "One of the pediatric doctors is learning welding. They say they no longer want to live in a country like this." Min Young-chul, president of the Korean Welding Association, told Kukmin Ilbo in an interview, "It seems doctors are taking welding too lightly," adding, "I don’t think it’s a derogatory remark, but I do think it’s inappropriate." After the related reports, President Lim posted on social media, "If a doctor says they don’t want to be a doctor anymore and prepares for law school to become a lawyer, would that be considered derogatory to lawyers? Or not?"

Im Hyun-taek, President of the Korean Pediatric Society, is entering the civil service office at the Government Gwacheon Complex on the 19th to submit a complaint to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) accusing Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong and Vice Minister Park Min-su of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Earlier, on the 22nd of last month at 7 p.m., at the second rally held by the Seoul Medical Association in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office to oppose the increase in medical school quotas and the essential medical package, Cho Hun-jung, policy director of the Seoul Medical Association, addressed Park Min-soo, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, saying, "Since we are about the same age, I will speak informally," then added, "When did we ever agree to increase medical school quotas? According to your logic, it’s the same as saying it’s okay to commit sexual assault just because you went on a few dates."

On the same day, Joo Soo-ho, spokesperson for the Korean Medical Association’s Emergency Response Committee, compared doctors to "beaten wives." He said, "What’s the difference between a beaten wife (doctor) who cannot leave because of her children (the people) and a husband (the state) who uses the children as hostages to commit violence?" He added, "I am convinced that the government’s arrogance in thinking doctors will never leave patients no matter how much they are pressured is what caused this situation." Joo also wrote on Facebook, "What is lacking in rural areas is not doctors but civility." Lee Dong-wook, president of the Gyeonggi Province Medical Association, appeared on MBC’s ‘100-Minute Debate’ on the 20th and said, "Because they are from the region, medical schools select students who rank 20th to 30th in their class, then force them to do mandatory service there. Who would want to receive treatment from such doctors?"

On March 6, when the police began the first summons investigation into allegations that current and former executives of the Korean Medical Association (KMA) conspired in the collective resignation of residents, Joo Su-ho, the KMA Emergency Response Committee's Public Relations Officer, appeared at the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul, to state his position. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

On YouTube and in communities for doctors and office workers, excessive offensive remarks abound. On the anonymous office worker community Blind, a user verified as a doctor (via email) posted, "Doctors are below prosecutors and judges." A doctor YouTuber said, "Having more doctors only prolongs a painful life." A YouTuber who is also a plastic surgeon mentioned on the 13th a past case where he palpated a female patient’s breast, saying, "At that time, three interns including myself took turns palpating." He added, "When the annual medical school quota reaches 2,000, it won’t be three but five people doing that. If five people do that, female patients will 100% curse and run away."