[Exclusive Interview] Park Hyung-wook, Chairman of the KMA Emergency Committee, "The College Scholastic Ability Test Was Taken, but Expansion Must Stop"

'Doctor and Lawyer', Medical Policy, Law, and Administration Expert with Experience as Blue House Administrative Officer
"Adjusting Medical School Quotas Next Year Still Possible... Need to Review Precedents like Sejong and Tokyo University"
"Will Discuss Participation in Ruling and Opposition Medical Council, but Seems Meaningless in Current Situation"

On the 13th, Park Hyung-wook, vice president of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (and a professor at Dankook University College of Medicine), was elected as the chairman of the Korean Medical Association's Emergency Response Committee. He will lead the medical crisis response as the head of the KMA until the next president is elected early next year.

Born in 1968, Chairman Park graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine. He is a specialist in preventive medicine and also a lawyer. He completed the Judicial Research and Training Institute (37th class) and has worked as a medical litigation specialist lawyer. In 2010, he served as an administrative officer in the Health and Welfare Secretary's Office at the Blue House under the Lee Myung-bak administration. He also participated as a negotiator on the KMA side in the medical issue consultative body involving the KMA and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Currently, he serves as the vice chairman of the KMA's highest decision-making body, the General Assembly, and as vice president of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, which leads various domestic medical societies.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Asia Economy held an exclusive interview with Chairman Park at a cafe in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to hear his views on the operation plan of the KMA Emergency Committee and the escalating conflict between the medical community and the government.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Park Hyung-wook, the chairman of the Korea Medical Association's Emergency Committee, met with Asia Economy in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to discuss the direction of the Emergency Committee. Photo by Choi Tae-won

- Right after your election, you said, "For dialogue to happen, the president and government must first stop the ticking time bombs." What do you mean by that?

▲ First of all, the increase in medical school quotas next year must be halted. There are many ticking time bombs currently active. For example, no doctors will be produced starting January next year. This is a short-term bomb exploding, causing difficulties in operating public health doctors, dispatched doctors, and military doctors. The financial difficulties of tertiary hospitals and resignations of remaining doctors are also problems. Deficits are worsening, and remaining doctors are resigning due to exhaustion. Medical student education is also an issue. There is talk of online education, but proper education is absolutely impossible. All of these are ticking time bombs, but the government seems to think it just needs to get through this period. They are not informing the public about these risks.

- The College Scholastic Ability Test was already held on the 14th. Is it possible to readjust medical school quotas under these circumstances?

▲ It is possible if the government has the will. Looking back at the Sejong University and University of Tokyo incidents in Japan, it is clear that it is possible. In 1990, when over 60% of Sejong University students were held back due to campus unrest, the government only allowed about 200 new students to enroll. The government's rationale at the time was that normal classes could not proceed if the full quota of new students was admitted due to mass retention. The current situation is the same. The government claims education is possible, but that is based on the judgment of university presidents or administrators. Professors who directly educate medical students must reach a consensus and persuade that education is impossible. Admitting students just because there are examinees and then abandoning them later is even more tragic for the students.

- What role is assigned to the Emergency Committee chairman in the current situation?

▲ First, it is to unite various medical professions within the Emergency Committee. Forming a consensus that a unified voice is necessary will give momentum to the next administration's actions. If the moment comes to make a decision, I will not avoid it. However, it is difficult for the Emergency Committee to initiate drastic changes first. Those issues seem to be for the next administration to resolve.

- When do you think is the deadline to resolve the medical crisis?

▲ The sooner, the better. The later it is, the more complicated and prolonged the resolution will be. Some areas, like medical education, are already broken regardless of whether medical-government negotiations occur.

- What is your stance on the medical community's participation in the ruling and opposition parties' medical consultative bodies and the president's special medical reform committee?

▲ It is a matter for the Emergency Committee to decide after consulting medical community members. However, the government has not changed its position and even claims its past actions are achievements. Personally, under these circumstances, I wonder if dialogue would be meaningful.

- How do you plan to establish relations with the resigning residents?

▲ The Emergency Committee must respect and properly reflect the opinions of resigning residents and medical students. Senior doctors must not mistakenly force their views on junior doctors as "this is the correct answer." If the Emergency Committee first asks for and respects their thoughts, cooperation can be drawn out. We plan to include 2 to 3 resigning residents among the Emergency Committee members, which will be composed of fewer than 15 people.

- Some criticize that the resigning residents effectively control the KMA like a regency.

▲ It is natural to listen to and respect the resigning residents' opinions and make decisions accordingly. Those who criticize this as a regency seem to have motives other than resolving the medical crisis. Listening and respecting is not the same as being ruled by a regency.

- The Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) insists they will not return unless their seven demands are accepted.

▲ This is a matter for the Emergency Committee to decide. Personally, I do not think their demands are wrong. However, I think there has been a lack of detailed explanation to the public about the background. Without proper information, the public cannot understand why the resigning residents insist on the seven demands. Efforts are needed to properly inform the public about the reality residents face and its significance, such as why basic rights of the public are not applied only to residents.

- Regarding the prolonged medical crisis, what do you see as the biggest problem in the government's measures?

▲ The government now seems to think that as long as cancer patients' tumors can be removed, it is okay if patients die. Specifically, regarding medical school quota increases, the government did not consult with the medical community but incited the public as if they had, labeling the medical community as an uncooperative group. The evidence presented for increasing quotas is based on selective data and studies favorable to the government. This was calculated very unscientifically. They averaged only the shortage at a specific point and justified it as scientific truth, claiming doctors unfairly oppose it. When residents who have the freedom to resign did so, unimaginable measures and stigmatization followed. It seems they did not consider medical education after the quota increase at all. Everything looks like fitting answers to predetermined conclusions. And opposition has been labeled as cartel or "bad guys," which has prolonged the medical crisis.

- There is consistent criticism that the medical community does not speak with a unified voice. How do you plan to unify the various voices from different organizations?

▲ Since situations differ slightly by profession, there is a tendency to view the medical crisis from each group's own interests. However, the root cause of all problems is a fundamentally flawed system. It is necessary to explain the realities each profession faces and build consensus on the direction the medical community should take. Until now, everyone has fought looking only at branches without seeing the roots of the tree. If understanding of the roots precedes, unification is possible.