Doctors’ Rally Against Medical School Quota Rise Turns Ugly with Rude Remarks

Amid the collective actions of doctors protesting against the government’s increase in medical school quotas, including mass resignations of resident doctors, doctors have sharply criticized the government with rude remarks.

The Seoul Medical Association held the second “Rally to Oppose the Rise in Medical School Quotas and Mandatory Medical Package” in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, at 7 p.m. on the 22nd.

At the rally, an estimated 300 people by the police and 500 by the organizers gathered and criticized the government’s policy of increasing medical school quotas, shouting slogans such as “Unprepared medical school quotas damage medical education” and “Unplanned rise in medical schools will ruin health insurance finances.”

In particular, Jwa Hun Jeong, the policy director of the Seoul Medical Association, raised his voice towards Park Min Soo, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, saying, “Do I have to use honorifics to Park Min Soo who threatens to hurt my beloved juniors and family?” and “Hey, Park Min Soo. We’re about the same age, so I’ll speak informally. Get your act together, Min Soo.”

He also claimed, “When did we agree to increase the medical school quota? We never did.”

Furthermore, he threatened, “If what you said is true, that because we had a meeting, it’s like saying sexual violence is okay just because you’ve been on a few dates” and “We have never agreed and will never be able to agree. I won’t let you off if even one of our juniors gets hurt.”

He also poured out criticism, saying, “Even if I see my blood or I take my own life, I will divest you of your authority.”

He added, “Isn’t it the government that pushes policies without listening to us that is taking the people hostage? If a patient dies, it’s because of the government.”

Meanwhile, according to the Central Accident Management Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the same day, as of 10 p.m. on the 21st, 9,275 resident doctors from 100 major training hospitals nationwide submitted their resignations, and 8,024 left their workplaces.

In response, the government issued work resumption orders to 808 of the 6,038 resident doctors confirmed to have left their workplaces, excluding the 5,230 who had already received the orders.