The Korean Medical Association President's Transition Committee: "The Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Should Resign for 'Irresponsible Professor' Remarks"

"Professors Endure with a Sense of Duty, Remarks Lacking Even Basic Respect"

Lim Hyun-taek, the president-elect of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), expressed regret over remarks made by Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, and called for an immediate apology and resignation.

Lim Hyun-taek, president-elect of the Korean Medical Association, is holding a press conference at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 29th of last month. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The 42nd KMA President Transition Committee (Transition Committee) stated on the 25th that Park’s remarks during the previous day’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters briefing?"One cannot resign while maintaining their status, and I believe there are not many irresponsible professors in reality who would unilaterally say, ‘I have submitted my resignation, so I will not come to work starting tomorrow’"?were the reason for their statement.

A representative of the Transition Committee said, "We are once again outraged by Vice Minister Park’s remarks, which failed to show even basic respect toward professors who are enduring difficult work every day with a sense of duty," adding, "Professors are caught up in daily controversies, and many are deeply angered by this single comment."

They continued, "We must not take lightly the public criticism that Vice Minister Park Min-su himself is worsening the current conflict situation, and we hope he realizes that the anger within the professor community is at a serious level," adding, "If Vice Minister Park truly has the will and conviction for medical reform, we hope he will take the first step by voluntarily resigning to demonstrate sincerity and relieve the burden on the President."

Meanwhile, Lim, the president-elect, also vowed a strong response to the police investigation into a medical student accused of forcing fellow students to take a leave of absence.

Through his personal social media (SNS), he said, "I have been in contact with the medical student under investigation and assured them that the KMA will provide thorough protection, so they can rest assured," adding, "If the government even slightly harms medical students, they must remember that the only outcome will be a catastrophe."