Im Hyuntaek, President of the Korean Medical Association, Impeachment Passed... By-election Within 30 Days (Comprehensive Report 2)

170 of 224 Delegates Present Approve
Delegate Vote for Emergency Committee Chair on 13th
By-Election for Next President to be Held Within 30 Days

The vote of no confidence (impeachment) against Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), has been passed. The KMA is expected to operate under an emergency committee system until the next presidential by-election, which will be held within 60 days.

The Korean Medical Association's Delegate Assembly is holding an extraordinary general meeting at 2 p.m. on the 10th at the Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to discuss agenda items including the formation of a special committee for no confidence in President Lim. Photo by Choi Taewon

The KMA General Assembly held an extraordinary general meeting at 2 p.m. on the 10th at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the agenda including the formation of an emergency committee for the no-confidence motion against President Lim was raised and announced.

According to KMA regulations, a no-confidence motion against the president is established by the proposal of at least one-quarter of members with voting rights or one-third of the total delegates, and it is decided by the attendance of at least two-thirds of the total delegates and the approval of at least two-thirds of the attending delegates.

On that day, 224 delegates attended, and 170 voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against President Lim. There were 50 votes against and 4 abstentions.

According to KMA internal rules, if the no-confidence motion is passed, the president is immediately removed from office, and a by-election must be held within 60 days. Until a new president is elected through the by-election, the executive vacancy of up to two months will be filled by an emergency committee formed at the extraordinary general meeting.

Before the vote at the extraordinary general meeting, President Lim said, "I failed to resolve the tangle of forced medical school expansion and medical manipulation. I am simply remorseful for being powerless against the government and the presidential office’s arrogance and obstinacy." He also stated, "Above all, I failed to fully represent the voices of residents and medical students, which is crucial in this fight," appealing to the delegates.

He further promised that if re-elected, he would ▲ refrain from controversial remarks and actions ▲ establish a transparent and communicative executive body ▲ and achieve personnel reform.

However, these appeals failed to sway the delegates. President Lim had been involved in several controversies, including calling a female judge who sentenced a doctor indicted for professional negligence causing death "Is this woman sane?" and referring to a senior presidential office official’s remark that simultaneous education of 7,500 medical students is possible as "nonsense like schizophrenia." He also reportedly told a doctor who defamed him, "If you want to withdraw the lawsuit, bring 100 million won," among other offensive remarks. He was also criticized for failing to achieve significant results during the medical-government conflict that lasted over 10 months.

In fact, the applause that erupted when President Lim first appeared at the extraordinary general meeting noticeably decreased after his explanatory remarks following the broadcast of the recording of his "100 million won demand" in the meeting room.

Following the no-confidence vote against President Lim, the KMA General Assembly will proceed with forming an emergency committee. On the 11th, the KMA announced a call for candidates for the emergency committee chairperson, received applications on the 12th, and will conduct a mobile vote for the chairperson at 8 p.m. on the 13th. The vote will be conducted via mobile and only delegates can participate. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff vote will be held. The term of the emergency committee chairperson lasts until the next president is elected.

The by-election for the next president must be held within 60 days according to internal rules. However, the KMA General Assembly plans to complete the election within 30 days to stabilize the situation quickly. Specific schedules will be announced next week after consultation with the KMA Election Commission.