1360 Residents Sue Welfare Vice Minister Park Min-su... "Will Not Return Until Dismissal"

About 1,300 resigning residents are filing a complaint against Park Minsu, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (PCC) on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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On the morning of the 15th, 1,360 resigning residents held a press conference titled 'Collective Complaint Against Vice Minister Park Minsu of the Ministry of Health and Welfare by Policy-Affected Residents' at the Korean Medical Association building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, announcing this.

The residents explained that the government’s policy to increase medical school quotas and the work maintenance orders issued to the collectively resigning residents caused them harm, which is the background of the complaint.

Jeong Geun-young, the representative resident doctor at Bundang CHA Hospital, is speaking at a press conference. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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Jeong Geun-young, former representative of residents at Bundang CHA Hospital, said, "The government abused its authority by instructing the heads of training hospitals not to accept resignation letters from residents opposing the policy and issued work commencement orders, forcing young doctors to work against their will."

He added, "This obstructed the legitimate exercise of rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws, such as residents' rights to take leave and resign, the freedom to choose a profession to work in general medical care rather than as residents, and the right not to perform forced labor."

He also stated, "Vice Minister Park led the medical school quota increase and essential medical package policies, repeatedly issuing ultra vires and arbitrary orders. To push through policies that lack basis and are deemed impossible in the field, he did not hesitate to violate the human rights of young doctors who should be fully respected as citizens."

Park Min-su, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare.
Photo by Yonhap News

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They also called for the dismissal of Vice Minister Park. He claimed, "Please dismiss Vice Minister Park promptly. He led flawed policies and, in the process, ignored citizens' rights and disrupted the constitutional order."

He continued, "Vice Minister Park repeatedly used harsh language to constantly humiliate doctors and cursed the future of young doctors. Until Vice Minister Park is dismissed, there will be absolutely no return to hospitals."

They emphasized that this complaint was a collective decision made individually by the residents and is unrelated to the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), the residents' organization.

The residents opposed the medical school quota increase policy and submitted resignation letters and left hospitals starting February 19. According to a written inspection by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of 11 a.m. on the 8th of last month, the number of residents who left from 100 major training hospitals was 11,994, representing a 92.9% withdrawal rate of the total number.

Through a statement by KIRA, the residents publicly announced seven demands to the government on February 20 and stated they would not return unless these demands are met.

The demands are ▲ complete cancellation of the medical school quota increase plan and essential medical policy package ▲ establishment of a scientific medical personnel supply and demand forecasting body ▲ expansion of specialist recruitment at training hospitals ▲ legal burden relief for unavoidable medical accidents ▲ improvement of resident training environments ▲ full withdrawal of unfair orders targeting residents ▲ complete abolition of work commencement orders.

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