"Is a Doctor the Same as an Office Worker?"... Why a Medical Drama from 6 Years Ago Was Recalled

Reevaluation of JTBC Drama 'Life' Scenes
Some Medical Groups Criticize 'Sense of Privilege'

Amid the ongoing mass resignation of residents protesting the government's policy to increase medical school quotas, a previously aired drama is gaining attention from the public. On the 23rd, JTBC uploaded a video related to 'Life' on its YouTube channel. Life is a medical drama that aired on JTBC in 2018, and the newly posted clip features Cho Seung-woo, who plays the director of a university hospital, criticizing some doctors' 'sense of privilege.'

Drama 'Life' video uploaded on JTBC YouTube [Image source=YouTube]

JTBC stated that the clip is being 're-evaluated' and urged viewers to "check out the scene that points out collective selfishness." As of the morning of the 26th, three days after posting, the video had surpassed 180,000 views. The video depicts doctors taking collective action when some special departments in the university hospital are planned to be relocated to provincial areas to revitalize local healthcare, leading to a heated exchange between Cho Seung-woo and the protesting doctors.

When Cho Seung-woo asks, "Is it true that more mothers die giving birth in Gangwon-do than in China?" the head of obstetrics replies, "We feel deeply regretful." Cho Seung-woo then points out, "Have you really been indifferent all this time? More than twice as many mothers are dying not in the metropolitan area but elsewhere."

[Image source=YouTube]

The doctors retort, "If you were the boss, would you go to the provinces?" to which Cho Seung-woo responds, "Why wouldn't doctors go when more than twice as many mothers are dying just because it's not the metropolitan area? If this were a regular company, you'd be looking for a house to move to the provinces." The doctors then ask back, "Are we the same as ordinary office workers?" This subtly reveals the collective sense of privilege shared among the medical professionals.

Although the video is part of a drama, some netizens see parallels with the recent standoff between the government and doctors.

Comments include sharp criticisms such as, "The sense of privilege fits perfectly. Because people keep calling them 'doctor, doctor,' they seem to see other citizens as beneath them," "Doctors may have their reasons, but seeing them only protect their own interests while people are dying makes them no different from politicians," and "I watched their rallies, and after hearing their remarks, all the sympathy I had left disappeared."

Meanwhile, as of 10 p.m. on the 22nd, the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that 8,897 residents from 94 training hospitals nationwide have submitted resignation letters, accounting for 78.5% of all residents. Those who have left their workplaces number 7,863, or 69.4% of the residents. None of the resignation letters have been accepted yet. The government has issued an order prohibiting the acceptance of collective resignation letters based on the Medical Service Act and the Specialist Training Regulations.

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