Today is the final deadline for residents' return or resignation confirmation... "Return seems unlikely"

Training hospitals must confirm resident resignation status and notify the Ministry of Health and Welfare
Residents: "If resignation is processed as of June, training hospitals will take legal action"

As the government requested training hospitals to confirm the return and resignation status of residents by the 15th, the likelihood of their return, which the government expects, is projected to be low.

On the morning of the 9th, a dedicated space for residents at a university hospital in Seoul city. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the government and the medical community, nationwide training hospitals must complete the resignation procedures of residents by this day and finalize the number of residents to be recruited in the second half of the year for each hospital, then submit this to the Training Environment Evaluation Committee under the Ministry of Health and Welfare by the 17th.

The medical community anticipates that the majority of resigning residents will not return by this day. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of the 11th, only 1,094 residents, accounting for 8.0% of the total 13,756 residents across 211 training hospitals, were attending work. Training hospitals are barely able to contact their affiliated residents. A representative from Seoul Asan Hospital stated on this day, "Only a very small number of residents have expressed their intention to return or resign."

A resigning resident, Mr. A, a delegate of the Korean Intern and Resident Association, said, "Overall, many residents are not responding to the hospital's contact," adding, "While some may return, it does not seem to be a significant number."

Most training hospitals are reportedly undecided whether to process resignations after June 4 as the government demands or by the end of February this year as the residents claim. Several representatives from major general hospitals in Seoul said, "We are reviewing various options regarding the timing of residents' resignations," and added, "Once the total number of residents resigning and returning is tallied, there will likely be considerable deliberation based on that number."

Residents are reportedly considering legal action against their affiliated training hospitals if resignation processing proceeds in June. Mr. A said, "Residents seem likely to file lawsuits against their hospitals to claim damages for the losses incurred due to the hospitals blocking their licenses."

Meanwhile, a group of medical school professors demanded that the government respect the residents' intentions. The Korean Association of Medical School Professors (KAMSP), the Emergency Committee of Medical School Professors, and representatives of professors from 40 medical school training hospitals issued a recommendation to the government on this day, arguing that "the blanket processing of resignations for non-returning residents will further worsen the medical crisis."