Suspension of Resident Licenses Depends on "Return Decision"
Yoon: "Health Ministry Must Do Its Best to Bring Residents Back"
KMA to Hold Candlelight Rally on 30th, 'Medical Death Sentence Day'
Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy at the Presidential Office, is giving a briefing on current issues related to medical reform at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 26th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 26th urged the Ministry of Education to "fully prepare for the implementation of university admissions by actively cooperating with universities where medical school enrollment has been increased."
The Korea Medical Association (KMA) announced plans to hold candlelight rallies in six regions nationwide on the 30th to protest the government's medical reform, but the presidential office reaffirmed its stance to "complete the medical reform."
Seong Tae-yoon, the presidential office policy chief, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon and conveyed, "The president requested necessary measures to ensure smooth education."
Presidential Office Reaffirms Commitment to 'Complete Medical Reform'
Seong said, "(The president) asked the Ministry of Health and Welfare to firmly maintain the emergency medical system and to do their best so that residents can return to medical sites and complete their training beside patients."
Earlier, on the 24th, the Korea Council for University Education reviewed and approved changes to the 2025 university admissions implementation plan at the University Admissions Committee meeting. Accordingly, the total medical school quota nationwide increased by 1,509, recruiting 4,567 students across 40 medical schools. This is the first expansion of medical school quotas in 27 years.
Seong explained, "(The president) said to accelerate the urgent reform policies centered on the Medical Reform Special Committee, such as strengthening essential regional medical care to ensure timely treatment anywhere, establishing a medical accident safety net guaranteeing safe and conscientious medical care, preparing measures to improve residents' working conditions by innovating training environments, and realizing advanced general hospitals focusing on treating severe rare diseases, so that these policies can be promptly materialized and implemented with speed."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 2nd Economic Issue Review Meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul on the 23rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon also urged the financial authorities to focus national finances on supporting medical reform by making efforts in next year's budget formulation.
Seong emphasized, "Especially, please carefully ensure that the five major financial investments for medical reform?essential medical specialties and support systems, regional medical innovation investment, maintenance of essential medical functions, establishment of a medical accident safety net, and expansion of essential medical research and development (R&D)?are carried out without any setbacks."
He added, "I would like to express my gratitude to the public who endure inconveniences and continuously support and encourage medical reform, and to the medical staff on the front lines who are dedicated despite difficult conditions. The government will complete medical reform to repay the public's support and the medical staff's dedication."
Resident License Suspension... "Depends on Return"
The presidential office said that the door to dialogue remains open for residents who left the medical field in protest against medical reform, but pressured that administrative measures such as license suspension depend on whether the residents return.
A senior official from the presidential office said, "We have been continuously persuading the residents to return after their collective action, but currently they refuse communication, which is regrettable," and added, "The government plans to continue efforts to engage in dialogue with the residents."
He also said, "Along with efforts for dialogue, the government is promoting support to improve the working environment and treatment of residents. Additional innovative measures will be discussed through the Medical Reform Special Committee. We hope the residents will return and collaboratively develop specific training policies."
Regarding resuming administrative procedures such as a three-month license suspension for the residents who left, he said, "It depends on whether the residents return," and "The timing, scope, and methods of specific measures are being reviewed by related ministries."
On the 24th, when the increase in medical school admission quotas was confirmed for the first time in 27 years, citizens were passing by a medical school near downtown Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The government is reportedly reviewing measures to induce the return of the residents who left. Both hardline measures such as license suspension and softer approaches like license suspension deferment and acceptance of resignation letters are being discussed simultaneously.
If a three-month license suspension is actually implemented, the residents who left will fail to meet the training period requirements, delaying their specialist qualification by more than a year.
Meanwhile, with the medical school enrollment increase plan confirmed for next year, opposition from the medical community is intensifying.
The KMA announced it will hold a candlelight rally titled "The Day of Death Sentence for Korean Medical Care by the Republic of Korea Government" in front of Daehanmun at Deoksugung, Jung-gu, Seoul, from 9 to 10 p.m. on the 30th. Simultaneous rallies will also be held in six regions nationwide, including Gangwon, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju.
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