Ryu Ok-ha: "License suspension has potential unconstitutionality... If legal, implement it immediately"

"Increase in Medical School Quotas Should Be Reconsidered from the Beginning"

As the government has postponed the suspension of medical licenses for residents, Ryu Okhada, former intern representative at the Catholic Central Medical Center, raised her voice, saying, "If this is truly just and legal, suspend the licenses immediately."

Ryu Ok, a resident who resigned, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 26th and emphasized, "I have never committed any illegal acts," adding, "I simply quit my profession legally." She further pointed out, "When considering the legal aspects, the suspension of licenses or the order to commence work itself has a very high possibility of being unconstitutional," and criticized, "Isn't it logically contradictory from the start to say that you will postpone something impossible and unjust?"

On the 25th, as the medical gap caused by the collective resignation of residents prolongs, a notice informing that medical treatment is delayed due to vacant resident positions is being displayed on the TV in the outpatient waiting room of a university hospital in Daegu. Photo by Yonhap News

Ryu Ok stressed that a 're-discussion from the starting point' is necessary to bring residents to the negotiation table. She explained that as the situation has passed over a month, the conditions for sitting at the dialogue table and the conditions for returning have changed significantly. She conveyed, "Residents are questioning whether they should undergo training by sacrificing their youth and health."

She also criticized the government's plan to solve regional and essential medical issues by expanding medical school quotas, i.e., increasing the supply of doctors. She explained that it is abnormal that the government is currently focusing only on the supply side, with an increase of 2,000 medical students. She pointed out, "It takes 15 to 20 years to train doctors and bring them to the field, which is very inefficient."

Ryu Ok said, "I hope the government will honestly speak to the public and ask for their understanding. Our country's health insurance premium is about 7%, which is significantly lower than France's 13%, Germany's 14%, and Japan's 10%." She continued, "Honestly, people need to pay a bit more, and the burden of pain should be shared together by doctors, patients, and the government." Furthermore, she acknowledged, "It is true that basic rights can be restricted in unavoidable situations such as wartime or medical crises," but emphasized, "Those who have quit hospitals now are general doctors and trainees. About 7% of all doctors have quit, but 93% are still by the patients' side. I hope people understand that we did not leave emergency rooms or intensive care units unattended without any measures."

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