After a Year and a Half... Discussions Accelerate on Residents' Return to Training Following Medical Students' Comeback

KIRA to Hold Closed Meeting with Democratic Party Including Chair Park Jumin on July 14
Extraordinary General Assembly on July 19 to Gather Opinions on Preconditions for Return

With medical students who had been on a collective leave of absence in protest against the expansion of medical school admissions announcing their return to classes, discussions on the return of residents who had left training hospitals are also expected to accelerate.

According to the medical community on July 14, the emergency committee of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), a group representing residents, will hold a closed meeting with the Democratic Party at the National Assembly at 5 p.m. on this day to discuss measures for normalizing the medical system, including the return of residents and improvements to the training environment.

It is reported that Park Jumin, Chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, and other committee members from the Democratic Party will attend the meeting from the National Assembly side, while Han Sungjon, head of the KIRA emergency committee, and other committee members will participate from the residents' side. Previously, on June 28, Chair Park and Han reportedly met privately and agreed on the need to increase the rate of residents returning to training in order to resolve the prolonged conflict between the medical community and the government.

Following this meeting, KIRA plans to hold an extraordinary general assembly of delegates on July 19 to gather the opinions of residents. After Park Dan, the former head of the emergency committee known for his hardline stance, stepped down last month and was replaced by Han, who is considered more moderate, discussions among residents regarding a return to training have been gaining momentum.

Earlier this month, KIRA conducted a survey of 8,458 residents and presented several preconditions for their return, including a review of the essential medical policy package and medical reform implementation measures, as well as guarantees for continuity of training for residents awaiting military service. Residents who resigned can return to hospitals through the recruitment process for the second half of the year, which will be announced at the end of this month. To ensure a smooth return, they are requesting measures such as postponement of military enlistment for residents currently awaiting enlistment.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has stated that it is not currently considering such special measures but will monitor the residents' demands as they become more specific.

If both medical students and residents return to their positions, the conflict between the medical community and the government, which has lasted for nearly a year and a half, will finally come to an end. However, since more than half of the residents have already found employment at other medical institutions or have given up part of their training, a full return of all residents, as is expected with the medical students, is unlikely.

The government must also consider the possibility that measures taken to facilitate the return of residents and medical students could spark controversy over preferential treatment. Previously, the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization criticized the government after a meeting between Prime Minister Kim Minseok and medical associations, stating, "We do not understand why the government continues to offer preferential measures only to residents and medical students," and, "This constitutes secondary harm to those residents and medical students who returned earlier."