Hospitals and Medical Community Outraged Over 'Jeongong-ui Cheodan'... Complete Withdrawal from 'Medical Reform Special Committee' Participation

Hospitals, Small and Medium Hospitals, and National University Hospital Associations Withdraw One After Another
Medical Community "Completely Rejects Government Policy Advisory"
Year-End Medical Reform 2nd Implementation Plan Announcement Also Uncertain

As hospital organizations have consecutively withdrawn from participating in the Presidential Medical Reform Special Committee, the government's ongoing medical reform efforts have encountered setbacks. The announcement of the second phase of medical reform measures, including reforms on non-reimbursable services and indemnity insurance, originally scheduled for release at the end of this month, has also become uncertain.

At the 'Young Doctors' Medical Martial Law Protest Rally' held by the Emergency Committee of the Seoul National University Hospital Residents' Association on the 8th in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, young doctors including resigning residents are urging the condemnation of martial law and the abolition of medical reform. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and medical circles on the 8th, the Korea Hospital Association, the Korea Association of Small and Medium Hospitals, and the National University Hospital Association, all of which had participated in the Medical Reform Special Committee, have decided to suspend their participation. A decisive factor was the uncontrollable expansion of anger within the medical community after the martial law command's proclamation during President Yoon Seok-yeol's emergency martial law declaration on the 3rd, which stated that "medical personnel such as residents who do not return will be punished under the Martial Law Act."

As a result, only the Korean Nurses Association, the Korean Oriental Medical Association, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, and patient and consumer groups remain in the Medical Reform Special Committee. Medical associations such as the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Intern and Resident Association had not joined the committee from the beginning.

The Korea Hospital Association, which was the first to decide to withdraw on the 5th, stated in a position paper, "We strongly protest the martial law command's proclamation for distorting the facts and using expressions that portray residents as anti-state forces to be punished," and added, "We will suspend participation in the Medical Reform Special Committee until medical personnel and institutions are respected and reasonable discussions become possible." Subsequently, the Small and Medium Hospital Association and the National University Hospital Association also temporarily suspended their participation in the committee and decided to monitor the situation.

From its inception, the Medical Reform Special Committee faced controversy over lacking representation from the medical community, as the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Intern and Resident Association, and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences refused to participate. Even the bipartisan medical-government consultative body formed to resolve medical-government conflicts did not include medical associations, resulting in a "half-hearted consultative body." If the Medical Reform Special Committee also halts, it is expected that the government's medical reform efforts will effectively lose momentum, and the scheduled plans will be delayed one after another. The committee originally planned to hold a public hearing on the 19th to gather opinions on improvements to non-reimbursable services and indemnity insurance, as well as the second phase of medical reform measures including a medical accident safety net, and then announce the finalized measures by the end of this month.

The Korean Association of Medical School Professors (Jeonui Gyohyeop) issued a statement the day before, saying, "We will fight alongside the people for the resignation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," and declared, "We firmly refuse participation and consultation in all government policies carried out under the orders of those involved in the rebellion." The Emergency Committee of Medical School Professors (Jeonui Bi) also demanded, "Medical school deans should revert the medical school expansion initiated by the rebel leader Yoon Seok-yeol to the starting point. Urgently discuss and implement practical reductions such as halting admissions."

The Emergency Committee of Residents at Seoul National University Hospital held a "Young Doctors' Protest Rally Against Medical Martial Law" at Marronnier Park in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno, Seoul, in the afternoon, urging, "Suspend the recruitment of medical students and residents for 2025 until safe education and training conditions are guaranteed, and thoroughly review the hastily implemented education and medical policies from the beginning."