Groups of Residents and Medical Students Declare Non-Participation in Ruling and Opposition Parties and Government Negotiation Bodies One After Another

Opposition Democratic Party Also Says "No Participation Without Resigning Residents"

Following medical associations, residents and medical students have also consecutively declared their refusal to participate in the ruling and opposition parties and government consultation body. The launch of the consultation body, which had raised expectations as the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Medical Schools (KAMC) expressed willingness to participate, appears to be facing difficulties.

According to the medical and academic communities on the 25th, among the 15 medical organizations and institutions urged by the People Power Party to participate in the consultation body, only two have expressed willingness to join.

The Korean Medical Association and KAMC issued a statement on the 22nd expressing their intention to participate in the ruling and opposition parties and government consultation body. They stated, "We clearly declare that we oppose the government's unilateral policy implementation so far and fully support the sincere commitment of young doctors who aim to provide proper medical care," while also explaining their participation by saying, "When considering the health of the people and patients as the top priority, we can no longer overlook the collapse of Korean healthcare caused by wrong policy decisions."

However, medical organizations led by the Korean Medical Association (KMA) have been consecutively declaring non-participation. The KMA stated in a statement on the same day, "We clearly state that we will not participate in the consultation body at this point," and added, "We respect the decisions of the two organizations and earnestly ask for careful consideration so that the opinions of the entire medical community can be well represented."

The Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) and the Korean Medical Students Association also conveyed their refusal to participate. Park Dan, the emergency committee chair of KIRA, and Son Jeong-ho, Kim Seo-young, and Jo Ju-shin, emergency committee chairs of the Medical Students Association, jointly stated on their personal social media, "We have no intention of participating in a consultation body that is merely a facade." The next day, they expressed doubts, saying, "We question what the ruling and opposition parties and government consultation body intends to achieve," and urged, "We hope the professors reconsider whether their decisions will truly help resolve the situation or possibly alienate their students."

The Korean Association of Medical School Professors (KAMSP) also held an emergency general meeting and decided to postpone participation after discussing whether to join the consultation body. KAMSP stated, "The consultation body should be composed of medical organizations that reflect the opinions of residents and students," and added, "The government should also have appropriate personnel involved in problem-solving, not those who triggered the medical crisis."

The Association of Tertiary Hospitals, another organization urged by the People Power Party to participate, also decided not to join the consultation body, citing concerns that participation might provoke opposition from residents.

There is also a possibility that even the participation of the Korean Medical Association and KAMC may fail. They had set as a precondition for joining the ruling and opposition parties and government consultation body the "university's autonomous approval of leave of absence applications submitted by medical students." However, the Ministry of Education stated, "Alliance leave of absence is not a legitimate reason for leave. There will be no reversal of the policy on leave approval," and emphasized, "Given that the early admission process for university entrance is currently underway, adjusting the number of medical school admissions for the 2025 academic year is legally and practically impossible."

Amid ongoing opposition from the medical community, the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, also declared non-participation in the consultation body. They hold the position that even if the consultation body is launched, it will inevitably remain stagnant without the participation of the resigning residents and medical students who hold the key to resolving the medical crisis.