Lee Gukjong Appears on Korea Defense Research Institute YouTube Channel
"Doctors Entering as Privates" Raises Concerns Over Military Medical System
Lee Gukjong, Director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, who recently sparked controversy and later apologized for remarks such as "The Joseon Peninsula is a country run by liberal arts people who only talk" during a lecture for military doctors, has raised concerns about a crisis in the military medical system, noting that fewer young doctors are aspiring to become military physicians.
Lee Gukjong, Director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital. Korea Defense Research Institute YouTube
On April 21, appearing on the Korea Defense Research Institute's YouTube channel, Director Lee said, "Young doctors are choosing not to become officers and are instead joining the military as regular soldiers. In the past, it was taken for granted that if you became a doctor, you would serve as a military officer, but the culture has completely changed." He continued, "Even in our unit, doctors are entering as privates. It is practically impossible to assign them to medical duties. Due to strict laws and regulations, we cannot place heavy responsibilities on enlisted soldiers."
Director Lee also stated, "Even when we offer soldiers the chance to perform core medical duties, they are not interested. They say they would rather do simple tasks and finish their service quickly." He added, "Currently, benefits such as rest for regular soldiers are actually better than those for officers. These have been significantly enhanced," expressing concern that, as a result, there are very few people willing to become military doctors.
Director Lee argued that, like in other countries, the military should utilize a reserve system to fill medical staff shortages. He said, "In the United States, for example, my professor who taught me was deployed four times. Even after discharge, if the nation calls, they are called up and deployed to the field. If such a reserve system is not well established, a very serious crisis could occur."
He emphasized, "There is no significant difference between protocols for treating civilians and soldiers. It is necessary to share the advanced aspects of civilian medicine with the military and gradually eliminate the boundaries between them."
When asked if he had any words for young soldiers, Director Lee replied, "Rather than me daring to give advice to the younger generation, I am the one learning a lot." He added, "It feels good to see young people grow so much even after just a few months. That is why I am living happily in the military."
Meanwhile, on April 14, Director Lee gave a lecture to medical officer candidates at the Army Cadet Military School in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, where he criticized the medical community and made remarks such as "The Joseon Peninsula is a country run by liberal arts people who only talk" and "Leave Joseon," which sparked controversy. Director Lee later expressed his apologies to the Ministry of National Defense, and it is reported that the ministry decided not to pursue the matter further.
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