Pleading Financial Hardship, Extorted 6 Million Won from Senior Doctor
Apology Posted Amid Growing Controversy... "Sorry for Impersonation"
Some Victimized Doctors Also Report to Police
About three months after the resignation of residents opposing the increase in medical school admissions, it has been revealed that a resident who resigned from a hospital in the Busan area embezzled sponsorship funds amounting to 6 million KRW from senior doctors by appealing for financial hardship. Some of the senior doctors who were victimized have filed a police complaint.
On the 29th, in a doctors' community that requires medical license verification for membership, Mr. A, who worked as a fourth-year resident in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at a university hospital in Busan until February, posted an apology letter. Since the beginning of this month, Mr. A had been appealing for financial hardship and requesting sponsorship funds from senior doctors through the community.
Mr. A introduced himself to specialists who were neither from the hospital nor the department where he worked as if he were a junior colleague from the same hospital and department. He introduced himself as an emergency medicine resident to emergency medicine doctors and pretended to be an internal medicine resident to internal medicine doctors. Using this method, Mr. A received sponsorship funds ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 KRW at minimum and up to 500,000 KRW at maximum from senior doctors, accumulating a total of 6.05 million KRW.
However, controversy arose when a doctor who found Mr. A suspicious posted a message raising doubts in the same community. In response, Mr. A posted an apology letter stating, "I have returned 2.15 million KRW out of the 6.05 million KRW in sponsorship funds to the parties involved." He added, "I am currently trying to locate the sponsors for the remaining amount," and "For the amounts refused to be returned by the sponsors, I will donate them to the Medical Association."
Mr. A said, "I impersonated others because I thought that if I simply said I was a resident in the same department, specialists (senior doctors) would support me," and "I will do my best to restore the damages and sincerely cooperate with the investigation by the authorities."
However, the victims’ reactions were cold. It is known that some of the victimized doctors have filed police complaints. Verified users in the community responded with comments such as "His identity has been confirmed, yet he is so brazen," "He is taking kindness the wrong way," "I hope he is marked with a red line," "His medical license should be revoked," and "Did he commit a crime just because he was desperate for 6 million KRW?"
Meanwhile, as the mass resignation crisis of residents prolongs, appeals for financial hardship from resigned residents who have lost their income are increasing. According to the Korean Medical Association (KMA) on the 27th, about 2,900 residents submitted applications for the resident livelihood support program, and after verification and review, about 280 residents were given 1 million KRW each. Approximately 390 residents applied for a program that connects senior doctors and residents one-on-one to lend 250,000 KRW monthly at zero or low interest rates.
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