Yena Nam In-soon: "Will Address Procedural Issues of Medical School Expansion Decision at the Hearing on the 26th"

Hold a National Assembly Hearing on the 26th
Scrutinizing Transparency and Procedures in the Government's Medical School Expansion Decision Process

On the 17th, when Seoul National University Hospital professors began an indefinite strike demanding the resolution of the resident doctors' crisis, a notice titled "A Letter to Patients During the Strike," written by the Emergency Response Committee of the Seoul National University Hospital Professors' Council, was posted at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Amid escalating conflicts between the government and the medical community, Nam In-soon, a four-term member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea and a member of the Health and Welfare Committee, stated that she will question the "problems in the decision-making process regarding the increase in medical school admissions" at the upcoming hearing scheduled for the 26th.

On the 21st, Nam appeared on KBS's Jeon-gyeok Sisa and referred to discussions held with the Seoul National University College of Medicine Professors' Association Emergency Committee on the 16th. She said, "There has been a four-month gap in support for surgeries performed by residents, emergency room duties, and on-call work, and this issue was heavily discussed at Seoul National University," adding, "There was also criticism that a more transparent discussion system is needed regarding the expansion of medical school admissions, so it was decided to address this at the National Assembly hearing on the 26th."

She added, "At the emergency hearing on the medical sector situation on the 26th, Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong, Vice Minister Park Min-su, and several field witnesses have been selected," and said, "We plan to listen to their statements and quickly conclude discussions within the National Assembly."

Regarding the Korean Medical Association's demand to cancel the planned increase of 1,500 students for the 2025 academic year, she mentioned, "There has been a shift within the KMA from cancellation toward negotiation." She explained, "The 2025 admissions quota has been settled up to the Supreme Court, so I believe discussions can now focus on the 2026 plan." Nam said, "I hope discussions will be conducted thoroughly, considering issues such as hospital clinical training, lack of equipment, and academic disparities."

On the 30th, a patient is being moved at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where professors working at Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital, two of the 'Big 5' major hospitals in Seoul, have stopped outpatient treatment and surgeries. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Meanwhile, professors at Seoul National University College of Medicine and its affiliated hospitals, who have been on an indefinite collective strike since the 17th, will vote on whether to continue the strike into next week. On the morning of the 20th, the Emergency Committee of the Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital Professors' Association held a general meeting with faculty from four hospitals (Seoul National University Hospital, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Hospital, and Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Center) and resolved to hold this vote. The voting results are expected as early as the 21st or by the 22nd at the latest.

The KMA enforced the collective strike on the 18th in protest against the government's medical policy, including the increase in medical school admissions. In response, the government issued treatment orders and strike reporting orders to approximately 36,000 medical institutions, including clinics, on the 10th, and on the morning of the 18th, issued work commencement orders to private practitioners. According to government data, the nationwide medical institution strike rate on the day of the collective strike was 14.9%.

The government plans to conduct on-site investigations in regions where the strike rate exceeded 30% to verify whether there are legitimate reasons for the strike and will decide on administrative sanctions at the local government level for non-compliance with work commencement orders.

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