KMA Emergency Committee: "Completely Halt Medical School Admissions Next Year... Educating 6,000 Students Impossible" (Comprehensive)

"First graders cannot advance this year... Even if enrollment increase is withdrawn, new student education is impossible"
"We will unite all former positions to fight... Specific plans will be discussed later"

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) Emergency Response Committee has called for a complete halt to medical school admissions next year. The reason for shifting their stance from withdrawing the increase to this position is explained as the fact that, with medical students not returning, even if 3,058 new students are admitted next year, it would be practically impossible to educate 6,000 students simultaneously.

Park Hyung-wook, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association, is speaking at a 'Briefing on the 1st Emergency Response Committee Meeting' held at 11 a.m. on the 22nd at the Korean Medical Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Choi Tae-won

On the 22nd at 11 a.m., the KMA Emergency Response Committee held a 'Briefing on the 1st Emergency Committee Meeting' at the KMA Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, announcing this position. The committee had held its first meeting the day before.

Earlier, through the first meeting, the KMA Emergency Response Committee resolved to ▲ actively support the positions of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) Emergency Response Committee and the Korean Medical School and Medical Graduate Student Association (KMSA) ▲ unite all medical professions to resist medical corruption ▲ and call for the suspension of medical school admissions in 2025.

Park Hyung-wook, chairman of the KMA Emergency Response Committee, stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration has not deeply understood the problems or refined improvements but has wielded the sword recklessly like a 'blind swordsman.'" He added, "There are many 'quack' economists giving wrong advice around the president."

He continued, "The KMA Emergency Response Committee will strongly resist and fight against the medical corruption caused by these 'quacks' and 'blind swordsmen.'" However, regarding specific future protest plans, he said, "The committee will discuss with each medical profession," and "There are no immediate plans for demonstrations."

He also claimed that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has no intention of resolving the medical crisis. He said, "The government is consistently stalling without any intention to solve the issue," adding, "As time passes, the problem will not be resolved but will become more severe."

Furthermore, he criticized, "Basic medical science practices such as anatomy and subsequent hospital clinical training will lead to collapse," and "At that time, President Yoon Seok-yeol, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, and Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon will not be in their positions."

The reason for shifting from the medical community's initial demand to withdraw the increase of 2,000 students to a complete halt of admissions next year is 'education,' he emphasized. Chairman Park said, "If the conflict had been resolved in time and medical students could have advanced, admitting new students and providing normal education would have been possible," adding, "If new students enter while first-year students fail to advance this year, more than 6,000 students will be educated together. This is impossible."