Claims Emerge of Criticism Toward Medical Community and Current Affairs
Authenticity of the Post Remains Unverified
At a lecture given to military doctors by Lee Guk-jong, director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, claims have emerged that he harshly criticized the Korean medical community and the current state of affairs.
On the 14th, an online community post titled "Professor Lee Guk-jong's lecture content for military doctors" was uploaded. The post contained statements made by Professor Lee during a recent lecture aimed at military doctors. According to the post, he first explained the reason for attending the lecture by saying, "I didn't want to come here. I feel sorry for my juniors and have nothing to say to them... But the director came all the way to the hospital asking me to do it, and since I also receive a salary from the Ministry of National Defense, I accepted." He then continued with candid remarks about the Korean medical community during the lecture.
Claims have emerged that Lee Guk-jong, director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, sharply criticized the Korean medical community and the current situation in a lecture given to military doctors. On the 14th, an online community posted a message titled "Professor Lee Guk-jong's lecture content for military doctors." Photo by Kim Hyun-min
Professor Lee reportedly said, "The Korean Peninsula is a country run by literary types who only talk without action. This has been the DNA of the Korean Peninsula for thousands of years and it will not change. If you don't like the temple, the monk should leave," citing historical invasions such as the Imjin War and the Byeongja Horan. He also said, "The sons and daughters of Joseon don't understand words," advising, "If you don't want to live being bullied all your life by Seoul National University, Severance (elderly doctors), and government officials, then don't do vital signs."
Furthermore, the author of the post claimed that Professor Lee mentioned cases where colleagues quit trauma surgery while he was active in the field. He referred to the late Professor Yoon Han-duk, who died from overwork, saying, "I worked in trauma surgery all my life, but nothing changed. My life is ruined. Professor Yoon Han-duk, who worked with me in trauma surgery, died from overwork. Don't end up like him." Previously, Yoon Han-duk, director of the Central Emergency Medical Center at the National Medical Center, who devoted himself to establishing the domestic emergency medical system, passed away during work over the Lunar New Year holiday in 2019. At the time in his 50s, Professor Yoon's death was mourned by many as he had been tirelessly providing medical care in hospital emergency rooms and disaster sites, and leading institutional improvements such as the introduction of emergency medical helicopters.
Also, regarding news that a military doctor at the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital passed the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination), Professor Lee said, "I converted the hospital’s underground storage into a study room, and a military psychiatrist passed the first part of the USMLE there." He added, "I was so proud that I even put up a banner. There is no hope in Joseon, so if you don't like the temple, the monk should leave?emigrate from Joseon." This appears to support the recent trend of residents and medical students, criticized by the public due to increased medical personnel, looking overseas.
Moreover, the author claimed that Professor Lee also expressed opinions on the conflict between doctors and the government. He said, "Professors are middlemen who exploit others. I thought there would be a fight between those who returned and those who didn't, and that half would be dead, but everyone is kind. Calling them 'gamgyul' (a derogatory term for doctors who returned as residents) is cute." This means he expected a major conflict between doctors who returned to hospitals and those who did not, but that was not the case. He also pointed out the responsibility of large hospitals in the current medical system by saying, "When big hospitals that squeeze residents ask for money to install glass walls and escalators, the sons and daughters of Joseon treat requests to raise medical fees as nonsense."
However, the authenticity of the post has not been verified. Netizens who read the content responded with comments such as, "It seems he feels tremendous doubt about the path he has taken so far, which is sad," "This is not just a problem with doctors but a painfully accurate reflection of the Korean Peninsula itself," and "It seems he is frustrated by a reality that never changes."
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