25 Medical School Professors Nationwide Submit Resignations: "Government Must First Release 2,000 Additional Positions"

Chairman Bang Jae-seung of the Emergency Response Committee of Professors from Medical Schools Nationwide (Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors Nationwide), who is also the chairman of the Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors' Council Emergency Committee, announced on the 16th the decision of professors from 16 medical schools to submit their resignations on the 25th, once again urging the government to lift the plan to increase the number of medical students by 2,000.

Bang Jae-seung, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Seoul National University College of Medicine Faculty Association. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the same day, Chairman Bang held a press conference at the HJ Business Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, emphasizing that the submission of resignation letters by medical school professors "does not mean abandoning patients," but warned that "if the current situation continues, irreversible damage to public health will occur." He added, "Yesterday, at the second general meeting of the Emergency Response Committee of Medical School Professors Nationwide, chairpersons from 20 medical schools participated, and among them, 16 universities overwhelmingly agreed to submit resignation letters, while the remaining four universities are in the process of collecting opinions."

Chairman Bang stated, "We agreed that until the resignations are finalized, each professor should do their best in patient care at their respective positions as they have done so far," and added, "In particular, we intend to maintain emergency room and intensive care unit care to the best of our ability until the resignation process is completed."

The Emergency Response Committee plans to hold another meeting on the 22nd to discuss how each medical school will operate their emergency rooms and intensive care units.

He said, "Professors submitting resignation letters despite being criticized is a sign of their determination to resolve this crisis as quickly as possible," and added, "I believe that the government must first lift the '2,000 student increase' plan for an agreement to be reached, and the resignations are being submitted to prevent a medical catastrophe."

He continued, "If the current situation persists, it will cause long-term significant damage to our country's medical system, and the emotional wounds of young doctors will take a long time to heal," and warned, "Irreparable harm will occur to the health of the Korean people, and the trust between doctors and patients will collapse."

According to the Emergency Response Committee, the meeting held the previous day included participation from 20 medical schools out of 40 nationwide: Kangwon National University, Konkuk University, Konyang University, Keimyung University, Gyeongsang National University, Dankook University, Daegu Catholic University (submitted in writing), Pusan National University, Seoul National University, Ajou University, Yonsei University, Ulsan University, Wonkwang University, Ewha Womans University, Inje University, Jeonbuk National University, Jeju National University, Chungnam National University, Chungbuk National University, and Hanyang University.

The survey results from the 16 medical schools that decided to submit resignation letters showed an overwhelming majority in favor of collective resignation. The lowest approval rate among these schools was 73.5%, while the highest was 98%.

The four universities that have not yet decided on submitting resignation letters plan to conduct surveys next week and will decide on resignation based on the results.

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