Medical Professors Hint at Withdrawing 'One-Week Strike'... "Government Won't Budge"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A group of medical school professors has hinted at withdrawing their plan to suspend medical services for one week if the increase in medical school admissions is confirmed.

According to the medical community on the 25th, Choi Chang-min, the emergency committee chairman of the National Medical School Professors' Emergency Committee (Jeon-ui-bi), said at a press conference the day before regarding the 'one-week suspension' plan, "Even if we suspend services for a week, it is obvious that the government will not budge," adding, "Considering that patients are clearly suffering, I wonder if we should go that far."

However, Chairman Choi added, "If suddenly all residents have their licenses suspended, the situation would be different," and "I sincerely hope the government does not create such a situation."

Jeon-ui-bi is an organization composed of emergency committees from various medical schools opposing the government's push to increase medical school admissions, with professors from 19 out of 40 medical schools participating.

Jeon-ui-bi stated after an online meeting on the 3rd, "If the government proceeds with the medical school admission increase process and finalizes the quota for 2025, we discussed various actions including a one-week collective suspension of work."

In response, the government said in a briefing, "We ask to stop collective actions out of consideration for patients and their families who are fighting for their lives."

Additionally, medical school professors have also stated that if the government confirms the increase in medical school admissions, they will regularize a 'one-day suspension of work per week.' The emergency committee of Sungkyunkwan University Medical School announced on the 23rd that, considering coordination with hospital directors, appointment changes, and patient inconvenience, they will begin suspending work on Fridays starting mid-June.

Meanwhile, on the 24th, when the Korea Council for University Education (Daegyo-hyeop) finalized the increase in medical school admissions while reviewing next year's college entrance examination, medical school professors strongly criticized the government but emphasized that they will "stay by the patients' side."