Presidential Office: "Postponing Medical School Expansion Means Delaying Reform... Workforce Supply and Demand Decided by the State"

"Under current law, the state decides medical workforce supply"
Seoul National University Medical Professors' Committee "Will resign on the 19th if no alternative"

The Emergency Response Committee of the Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors' Association proposed a one-year postponement of medical school enrollment expansion and the formation of a dialogue consultative body. In response, Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs at the Presidential Office, stated on the 13th, "The scale of medical school enrollment expansion is not a matter for negotiation or compromise but a responsibility that the government must decisively determine."

On the same day, Jang said on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "According to current law, the government is responsible for managing the supply and demand of medical personnel nationwide," adding, "While we listen to the medical community, the fundamental principle is that the government must take responsibility and make decisions." He continued, "Looking at other countries' cases, there is no country that decides medical school enrollment through agreement with the medical community," emphasizing, "If the government engages in dialogue with the medical community, discussions about the scale of medical school enrollment will not be excluded, but it will only be a matter of explaining and persuading the basis for the decision to increase enrollment by 2,000. It is not a matter of exchanging the scale of medical school enrollment."

He also expressed a negative view regarding the Emergency Response Committee of Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors' proposal for a 'one-year postponement' and 'formation of a dialogue consultative body.' Jang said, "Increasing medical personnel is a process that takes a very long time even if medical school enrollment is expanded starting next year, so proposing a one-year postponement is equivalent to delaying medical reform by one year," adding, "Suggesting to entrust this to an objective external institution is also akin to evading the government's responsibility."

He further stated, "Medical care related to the life and safety of the people is constitutionally valued on par with national defense and public security," and questioned, "Citizens are feeling the shortage of essential medical personnel through pediatric and adolescent patients rushing to hospitals and emergency room rotations; can the state overlook this reality?" Jang explained, "The Medical Service Act grants doctors exclusive rights to medical practice, i.e., licenses, but imposes strong obligations that they cannot refuse or suspend treatment without justifiable reasons," and added, "Mandatory enrollment in national health insurance for all citizens also means that citizens bear burdens corresponding to such rights."

Medical staff are moving at a university hospital in Incheon.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the Emergency Response Committee of the Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors' Association views that "dialogue is impossible until the government concedes on the scale of enrollment expansion." Bang Jae-seung, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee, said on KBS Radio's 'Jeonggyeok Sisa' on the same day, "The attitude of the residents is extremely hardline," and added, "Even if the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the government accept our proposal, the residents may not accept it."

Currently, the Emergency Response Committee proposes deciding on medical school enrollment expansion one year later and forming a dialogue consultative body involving representatives of the public and residents. The committee stated that if the government does not actively seek solutions, they will submit resignation letters starting from the 18th.

Regarding the background of the proposal to form a dialogue consultative body, they explained, "Currently, the government and the KMA are in a strong confrontation with no sign of resolution." Chairman Bang explained, "Our proposal is for the government not to fix the number of additional doctors at 2,000 but to form a dialogue consultative body. For medical students and residents, if the government and the KMA agree to form the dialogue consultative body, all will restore medical sites," adding, "Not only the government and the KMA but also objective judgments from third parties and public opinions should be included," and explained, "The negotiation table should include the government, the KMA, ruling and opposition parties, representatives of the public, professors, and residents."

The reason for setting the deadline as the 18th is to protect the residents, according to Chairman Bang. He elaborated, "The first resident at Seoul National University submitted a resignation letter on the 18th of last month, and legally, if a month passes, the hospital director's acceptance is not required for the resignation to be effective," adding, "Our professors have an obligation to protect medical students and residents, so we set the deadline as the 18th."

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