Representatives of Residents and Medical Students Urge Resignation of Medical Association President Im Hyuntaek

by Choi Taewon

Published 10 Sep.2024 13:17(KST)

"Does Not Represent Residents Resigning or Medical Students on Leave"

Representatives of residents and medical students repeatedly demanded the resignation of Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA).

Park Dan, Acting Chairperson of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA). Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

On the 10th, Park Dan, emergency response committee chair of the Korean Intern Resident Association, stated on his personal social media service (SNS), "Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korea Medical Association, does not represent the residents who have resigned or the medical students on leave."

He added, "The four people listed below have no intention of sitting at the same table with President Im," and urged, "President Im and the KMA executive board should refrain from mentioning residents and medical students, and we call for President Im's prompt resignation." The four people listed are Chair Park and the co-chairs of the Korean Medical School and Graduate Medical School Student Association (Udae-hyeop) emergency response committee: Son Jeong-ho, Kim Seo-young, and Jo Ju-shin.

This is not the first time Chair Park has expressed a critical view of President Im.

In June, through his personal SNS, he shared news about the formation of a unified medical community channel centered on the KMA, questioning, "What kind of person is Im Hyun-taek? Center? What does he keep insisting that he is the center of?" On July 26, he wrote, "What else is President Im Hyun-taek doing besides mentioning residents and medical students in public? Where is the budget of 30 billion KRW and about 100 employees being wasted?" and added, "If President Im still does not understand what is important, I now recommend that he consider voluntary resignation."