Medical Community Nationwide Rally Possibly on the 10th of Next Month... Korean Medical Association Emergency Committee Declares 'Struggle'

17th 1st Meeting of the Korean Medical Association Emergency Committee
"Responsibility for Medical Field Confusion Lies with the Ministry of Health and Welfare"
Timing of General Strike to Be Decided by Member Vote

The Korean Medical Association Emergency Response Committee announced on the 17th that it will launch a struggle to prevent the increase in medical school admissions. They plan to hold a nationwide rally as early as the 10th of next month.

Kim Taek-woo, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Korean Medical Association, is announcing the results of the first Emergency Response Committee meeting around 8 p.m. on the 17th.
Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@

At around 8 p.m. that day, the Emergency Response Committee announced the results of the first committee meeting held at the Korean Medical Association Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the Emergency Response Committee, stated, "The start and end of collective action (general strike) by medical professionals will be decided by a vote of all members," adding, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare is responsible for the upcoming chaos in the medical field." He continued, "We respect and support the voluntary actions of residents and medical students," emphasizing, "The committee will bear their legal responsibilities."

Joo Soo-ho, the committee's media and public relations officer, said, "The decision-making authority for relatively small-scale collective actions, such as a one-day suspension of work, has been delegated to the standing committee," adding, "We have a proposal to hold a nationwide rally where doctors from across the country gather in one place as early as March 10." He also added, "We are reviewing whether the government's recent statements contain any illegality."

When asked by reporters whether there are plans to engage in dialogue with the government, Chairman Joo replied, "First, the government must stop lying and retreat from its position on increasing medical school admissions by 2,000 before dialogue can be possible."

However, he stated that a general strike on the scale of the 2000 drug separation movement would be decided by a vote of all members. He said, "During the 2000 drug separation, residents took to the streets in summer and only returned to hospitals in winter," adding, "The timing and method of the final general strike will be decided through a vote by the members." He further explained, "The vote will be conducted electronically, and for this, consent for information disclosure from members is required, so a decision cannot be made in the near future."

Meanwhile, after concluding the meeting, the Emergency Response Committee entered a joint meeting with the 16 city and provincial medical associations and the delegate council's steering committee. Earlier, on the 7th, the delegate council's steering committee held an extraordinary delegate general meeting and resolved to establish the 'Emergency Response Committee to Prevent Medical School Admission Increase.' On the 9th, Kim Taek-woo, chairman of the Gangwon Medical Association, was elected as the chairman of the Emergency Response Committee.

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