[2024 National Audit] "Is the Doctor Blacklist a Crime?"... Medistaff CEO Avoids Direct Answer

Welfare Committee Hearing Criticizes Doctor Community Representative
Minister Jo Gyu-hong: "Will Actively Request Investigation and Take Administrative Measures"

The representative of 'Medistaff,' an online community for doctors and medical students that became controversial after circulating a list of residents who did not participate in doctors' collective action, appeared as a witness at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit. He avoided giving a direct answer to lawmakers' questions about whether the creation and distribution of the 'doctor blacklist' should be considered a crime.

On the 23rd, Ki Dong-hoon, CEO of Medis Staff (right), who appeared as a witness at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit, is listening to a question from Han Ji-a, a member of the People Power Party.
[Photo by National Assembly Broadcasting]

On the 23rd, Ki Dong-hoon, the representative of Medistaff, appeared as a witness at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit and responded to a question from Han Ji-a of the People Power Party asking, "Do you consider the spreading of doctors' personal information and false information on Medistaff a crime?" by saying, "I understand it is recognized as a crime and is currently under police investigation." When the lawmaker pressed, "Just answer whether you consider it a crime or not," he gave a somewhat ambiguous response.

After residents strongly opposed the government's plan to increase medical school admissions and left medical sites en masse, in March, Medistaff publicly released the personal information of residents remaining at hospitals under the name 'Participating Doctors List.' At the end of June, when punishment for non-returning residents became imminent, a 'Returning Doctors List' circulated, containing the names of returning residents, returning medical students, and full-time doctors filling resident positions.

Representative Ki is currently under police investigation for alleged violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, incitement, obstruction of business, and other charges related to the blacklist incident.

In response to a lawmaker's remark that "residents and students should be protected," Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong emphasized, "We are actively requesting investigations," and added, "Once the investigation results are out, we will take strict administrative measures."

Before Representative Ki took the witness stand that day, a commotion occurred when a Medistaff employee accompanying him entered a small meeting room where lawmakers were resting. Suspicions arose that the employee tried to eavesdrop on lawmakers' conversations in a space where the public is not allowed, leading to the employee being added as an additional witness.

One lawmaker criticized, "The team leader who came with witness Ki Dong-hoon unlawfully entered the space where ruling party lawmakers were meeting (the Welfare Committee small meeting room) and then left." Lawmakers Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party and Baek Hye-ryun of the Democratic Party questioned the employee in detail about arrival times at the National Assembly, movement routes, the time of entry into the meeting room where lawmakers were present, reasons for entering the meeting room, and the content of conversations with Representative Ki.

Additionally, when lawmaker Seo Myeong-ok of the People Power Party pointed out, "According to the National Assembly Act, it is necessary to investigate all aspects, including checking whether the employee recorded audio at that time through a mobile phone investigation," the employee and Representative Ki disclosed the text messages exchanged between them.