60 People’s Real Names Revealed on Telegram
Ministry of Education: "Ensure Full Protection of Students' Learning Rights"
Ministry of Health and Welfare Requests Police Investigation
As a so-called 'medical blacklist' listing medical students who returned to classes was spread through Telegram chat rooms with their real names disclosed, the Ministry of Education reportedly issued guidelines to universities to address those sharing personal information of returning students and to protect the medical students whose identities were revealed.
On the 15th, Yonhap News reported that the Ministry of Education sent official letters containing such content to 40 universities with medical schools. In the letter, the Ministry requested, "Each university should review its own situation and make every effort to provide individual counseling, guidance, and protection of learning rights to ensure the smooth return of medical students to classes." It also added, "Please actively guide students to prevent participation in illegal acts that infringe on the basic rights of other students."
Doctor's coat placed in a lecture room of a medical college in Daegu on the 3rd of last month. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 7th, a Telegram chat room named 'Thankful Doctors - Thank You Medical Students' was created. Since the 11th, lists containing the real names and personal information of those who returned to schools and hospitals have been posted under titles such as 'Thankful Medical Students,' 'Thankful Residents,' and 'Thankful Doctors.' For medical students, their school, grade, and name are disclosed, while for residents, their hospital, department, and years of experience are revealed.
The expression 'thankful' is used sarcastically toward those who remained in classes and medical sites. The chat room creator stated, "Following the Minister of Health and Welfare's intention, we wanted to express gratitude to the doctors and medical students who are dedicating themselves to patients even in this situation, but since we did not know those individuals, we created and published a list of these excellent teachers." They added, "Since this list was made to widely publicize their good deeds, it is okay to share it broadly." In other words, it is a list intended to stigmatize them as traitors.
As of the 12th, the list of medical students with disclosed real names, schools, and grades numbered around 60 but is gradually increasing. The chat room creator has been regularly changing the chat room address to avoid investigation.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has currently requested a police investigation regarding this matter. The Ministry of Education also stated, "Once the police investigation results are out, we plan to cooperate with universities to take measures against students confirmed to have committed illegal acts."
This is not the first time that medical students returning to classes have been pressured. In April, six medical students at Hanyang University Medical School were reported to the police on charges of forcing a public face-to-face apology to all grades and collective refusal of classes against students who returned to classes. At the end of May, the Ministry of Education also requested a police investigation after receiving reports of collective coercion at the medical schools of Chungnam National University, Konyang University, and Gyeongsang National University.
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