'Doctors Cannot Win' Former KMA President: "They Boasted Loudly... Said They Wouldn't Be Punished"

Yoon Orders Flexible Handling of 'Resident License Suspension'
Former KMA President Roh Hwan-gyu Criticizes Government
"Cannot Punish Residents... Anger Reaches Peak"

President Yoon Suk-yeol has instructed a postponement of license suspension for non-returning residents, while former Korean Medical Association (KMA) President Roh Hwan-gyu mocked, asking, "Where did the loud boasting go?" Previously, Roh had claimed on his social media that "the government cannot defeat doctors."

On the morning of the 9th, Roh Hwan-gyu, former president of the Korean Medical Association, appeared at the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul, to undergo police investigation related to allegations of collective resignation conspiracy among medical residents.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 25th, Roh posted on his Facebook, "ㅋㅋㅋ Now I can only laugh," adding, "Didn't they say the government would not punish the residents? Considering reducing the license suspension from three months to one month last night is just testing the waters." He continued, "They cannot punish the residents. Think about all the bluffs (lies) the government has made so far," and asked, "Where did the loud boasting go about no leniency, no relief, mechanical enforcement, and punishing from this week?"

A statement by Noh Hwan-gyu, former president of the Korean Medical Association, regarding the suspension of resident licenses.
[Photo by Noh Hwan-gyu Facebook]

Roh said, "In just ten days, it will be two months since the collective resignation," and criticized, "Doctors are fighting to protect their values. The government committed these acts to gain votes." He added, "It is absurd to think the government could suppress doctors with power and force," raising his voice, "Doctors' anger has reached its peak. This is just the beginning. Why on earth did they cause this situation?"

Earlier, Roh had consistently criticized the government through his social media. On the same day, he said, "I know they are overexerting themselves to cover the vacancies left by the residents, but they are living under extreme stress. How can the government, the authorities, do this?" He added, "Even under the Moon Jae-in administration, it was not this bad. This is why doctors say, 'We might as well vote for the Democratic Party.'" Currently, Roh is under investigation for allegedly instigating or conspiring in the collective resignation of residents.

Meanwhile, President Yoon instructed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to negotiate with the ruling party for a flexible approach to 'resident license suspensions.' However, this is a temporary suspension, and it is unclear when the license suspension measures will resume. Park Min-soo, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said, "The timing and details of the (license suspension) measures may be subject to review, but nothing has been decided yet," while emphasizing that the principle of inevitable punishment remains unchanged. He added, "Flexible measures are currently being discussed with the party," and said, "We need dialogue with the medical community to clarify the details."