Government: "No Cases of Accepting Medical School Professors' Resignation Letters... Please Come Forward for Dialogue"

Regarding the ‘automatic resignation processing’ of medical school professors who collectively decided to resign on the 25th of last month in protest against the government’s plan to increase medical school quotas by 2,000, the government stated that "there are no cases where resignations are scheduled to be accepted."

Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, explained during a briefing after the ‘Doctors’ Collective Action Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 22nd, "Some claim that on April 25, one month after university professors submitted their resignation letters, the resignations automatically take effect, but it cannot be uniformly assumed that the resignations automatically take effect."

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Vice Minister Park said, "The submission status of resignation letters, submission dates, and contract types vary," adding, "According to what the education authorities have identified, there are currently no cases of medical school professors whose resignation letters have been received by university headquarters and are scheduled to be accepted."

He also urged, "Medical school professors should come forward to a dialogue rather than collective action and present their opinions," and said, "The government will listen to opinions with an open attitude and reflect them in policies."

He repeatedly called on the medical community to engage in dialogue.

Vice Minister Park stated, "Despite the government’s flexibility and proposals for dialogue, collective action demanding a complete withdrawal of the medical school quota increase does not help resolve the current situation," and urged, "Please participate in the ‘Medical Reform Special Committee meetings’ and express your opinions."

The government will hold the first meeting of the ‘Medical Reform Special Committee’ this week and will actively promote medical reform. The committee consists of a private sector chairperson, government members from six ministries, and 20 private members. Private members will be selected to ensure balanced participation from various sectors, including the medical community, consumer groups, and experts from different fields.

Vice Minister Park said, "The Medical Reform Special Committee will serve as a social discussion body to discuss reform tasks for innovating the medical system, directions for essential medical investment, and periodic review directions for medical workforce supply and demand."

He added, "I hope that representatives from all sectors will gather to listen to each other’s opinions and reach reasonable solutions through open discussions on all major and minor issues related to medical reform," and urged, "I also ask the Korean Medical Association and resident doctors to attend the Medical Reform Special Committee meetings and actively express their opinions."

As the procedure for increasing medical school quotas is effectively ending at the end of this month, he also requested the presentation of alternatives.

Vice Minister Park said, "If each university revises the academic regulations for the 2025 academic year admission plan and applies for the quota increase by the end of April, the procedure will effectively conclude," and added, "Please present reasonable and unified alternatives before it is too late."

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