Medical Association → Residents... Now Medical Students vs. Ministry of Health in Direct Clash

Medical Students "Continue Refusal of Medical Licensing Exam and Collective Action"... Ministry of Health and Welfare "Conducting Doctor Workforce Simulation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The medical sector strike is escalating into a conflict between the government and medical students. Initially led by the Korean Medical Association (KMA) with residents participating in a collective work stoppage, the strike has now hit a deadlock as medical students refuse to take the practical portion of the national medical licensing examination.

On the 7th, the Emergency Committee of the Korean Medical Student Association (KMSA) reiterated their refusal to take the medical licensing exam and their intention to continue collective action. The KMSA Emergency Committee stated, "Many members are outraged by the insincere political maneuvers of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the ruling party following the hasty agreement between the KMA and the government," emphasizing, "We will maintain strong solidarity with the Resident Emergency Committee and continue collective action." In response to the strong opposition from the KMSA Emergency Committee, the Korean Intern and Resident Association, which had hinted at returning to work on the 7th, abruptly reversed its position and declared a suspension of collective action. The Resident Emergency Committee announced, "We will hold an online meeting with all residents at 1 p.m. on the 7th to reset the return-to-work date to after Monday."

Until the afternoon of the 6th, residents had planned to end their collective work stoppage and return to medical sites on the 7th. Park Ji-hyun, head of the Resident Emergency Committee, said during a live broadcast on social media the previous afternoon, "The KMA's 'snap signing' with the government and ruling party has weakened the justification for collective action," adding, "We have decided to lower the level of protest to stage 1 (residents and students return, only one-person protests continue) and return to the field from 7 a.m. on the 7th." However, upon hearing the news of the return, medical students and some residents strongly opposed it. Different voices from medical students by school and residents by hospital led to a flood of protests, ultimately nullifying the residents' planned return.

The reason medical students have taken such a hardline stance is analyzed as a combination of being direct victims of the increase in medical school quotas and feelings of betrayal toward their seniors experienced during the strike. One medical student expressed, "We cannot dismiss the suspicion that the KMA and residents have used students, who have not yet obtained medical licenses, as scapegoats," adding, "The sense of betrayal toward our seniors is growing." A medical industry insider commented, "For the millennial generation born in the 1990s, who have prioritized competition and worked hard to earn the title of doctor, the Hippocratic Oath that a doctor should be by the patient's side may not resonate deeply."

As medical students collectively refuse to take the medical licensing exam, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has begun seeking alternatives. A ministry official stated, "Since it is not a sudden shortage of 3,000 people in one year, even if they collectively refuse to take the exam, it will not cause a major disruption in workforce supply," adding, "We are currently conducting our own simulation of doctor manpower and exploring alternative measures for adjusting and supporting the supply of essential personnel such as rural health centers, military doctors, and public health doctors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.