KMA: "President Yoon Should Meet Directly with Residents"

"Government Must Devise Plans for Residents' Return to Hospitals"

The medical community has demanded that President Yoon Seok-yeol engage in dialogue with residents, emphasizing the need to devise measures for their prompt return.

Kim Taek-woo, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Korean Medical Association (center), is speaking at a regular briefing held at the Korean Medical Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on the 27th. Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@

The Korean Medical Association Emergency Response Committee held a regular briefing at 2 p.m. on the 27th at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, announcing this stance. Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the KMA Emergency Committee, stated, "To resolve the current medical crisis, the government must urgently devise ways for residents who have left hospitals to return to their affiliated hospitals as soon as possible," adding, "We earnestly request President Yoon to meet directly with the stakeholders, the residents, to conduct consultations aimed at overcoming the current situation and to provide a breakthrough for resolving the issue."

He also argued that the prolonged medical service gap is increasing the fatigue of residents and the public who are unable to receive proper medical care. He said, "Following the voluntary resignation of residents, from the 25th, even medical school professors have continued the wave of voluntary resignations, showing a worsening trend," and added, "The fatigue is mounting not only among the residents involved but also among the public who are unable to receive adequate medical treatment due to the same situation."

He pointed out that despite consultations between some medical professions and the government, there has been no visible progress. Chairman Kim said, "In the past week, consultations between various medical professions, including the Korean Association of Medical School Professors (KAMSP), and the government have taken place, but only significant differences in positions were confirmed without producing tangible progress," and added, "At a meeting between KAMSP and Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the People Power Party Emergency Committee, KAMSP stated that resolving the current crisis is impossible without the government withdrawing the increase in medical school quotas and the allocation to each university, and if the government intends to withdraw, it has expressed readiness to discuss all current issues openly before the public."

Meanwhile, in response to reporters' questions about whether the preconditions for dialogue proposed by the medical community, such as the withdrawal of the 2,000 medical school quota increase and allocation, would change, the KMA Emergency Committee replied, "There is no reason for them to change."