Government Notifies First Disciplinary Action of License Suspension to 'Departing Residents'... Collecting Opinions Until the 25th

The government plans to complete sending the first round of prior license suspension notices by next week to residents who have not returned to medical sites despite orders to resume work.

According to the government and medical community on the 9th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has been sending prior license suspension notices since the 5th to residents who have not returned to hospitals following a collective resignation. Recently, it is known that notices are being sent out in units of 1,000 per day.

Accordingly, it is expected that by early next week, all approximately 10,000 residents who have left their workplaces will receive the prior notices. Those who receive the notices must submit their opinions on the disposition to the government by the 25th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Administrative Procedures Act, when government agencies or administrative authorities impose obligations or restrictions on rights and interests, they must notify the parties in advance of the facts and legal grounds causing the disposition and then proceed with a hearing process.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated the legal basis in the notice, citing the Medical Service Act and the related order to resume work. Since it has been confirmed that the residents did not return to work despite receiving the order under the Medical Service Act, the ministry will proceed with license disposition according to relevant regulations.

The notice also includes that if the deadline for submission after receiving the notice is missed, it will be considered that there is no opinion, and the disposition can be made ex officio.

Jeon Byeong-wang, Director of the Health and Medical Policy Office at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained at a foreign press briefing held the previous day, "If the relevant law is violated, the license qualification can be suspended for up to one year," adding, "In similar cases, licenses are usually suspended for about three months."

The government plans to resend notices if residents who have not returned avoid receiving them by 'closed door absence' (doors locked and no one present).

Residents may file administrative appeals and lawsuits to contest the license suspension disposition in the future.

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