"I did my best but only brought disappointment... Everything is my fault"
New Emergency Committee Expected, Mainly Comprised of Resigning Residents from Major Tertiary Hospitals
Park Dan, Emergency Response Committee Chair of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), has abruptly resigned.
On the morning of June 24, Park sent a notice to residents, stating, "I intend to step down from all my positions," and added, "Over the past year and a half, I did my best despite my shortcomings, but I only caused disappointment."
He said, "Everything is my fault," and continued, "I sincerely hope this situation will be resolved as soon as possible. I ask that you take good care of the students until the end." He also mentioned that he had originally planned to issue a statement that day demanding compliance with the September 4 medical agreement and the reorganization of the medical consultative body, and that he was scheduled to meet with Democratic Party lawmakers Park Jumin and Kim Youngho the following day.
Previously, since the launch of the emergency committee, Park had faced criticism from resigning residents for insufficient communication. Recently, about 30 residents, including Kim Chankyu from Wonkwang University Hospital, issued a statement criticizing Park, saying, "To some, the current communication structure of KIRA is not much different from the Yoon Suk-yeol administration that we criticized," and added, "If we continue to stick to self-satisfying metaphors and limited communication, while increasing sacrifices, is there really a future for us?"
In response, Park stated in a notice the previous day, "With the current absence of a government official responsible for healthcare, I do not think there is a need to decide on an immediate return. Although the presidential election is over, the medical crisis remains unresolved. It appears that both the Presidential Office and the Democratic Party do not prioritize resolving the medical crisis," as he attempted to address internal concerns.
Park was elected as the 27th president of KIRA in 2023. However, when the government announced its healthcare reform plan in February of last year, which included increasing the medical school quota by 2,000, he immediately resigned as president and took on the role of Emergency Response Committee Chair as KIRA transitioned to an emergency committee. After assuming this role, he announced the "seven major demands of residents," including a complete withdrawal of healthcare reforms, and maintained a hardline stance.
Meanwhile, following Park's resignation, the resigning residents are expected to form a new emergency committee to negotiate with the government. According to the medical community, the new committee will reportedly consist mainly of resigning residents from major tertiary hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital.
Immediately after Park announced his intention to resign, the emergency committee, which includes residents from Korea University Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, and Severance Hospital, issued a statement urging the government to "work together for the normalization of healthcare." They called on the government to: ▲reconsider the essential healthcare policy package and implementation plans for healthcare reform; ▲expand and institutionalize the proportion of physicians in healthcare governance; and ▲improve the training environment and ensure continuity of training for residents.
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