Thousands of trainee doctors nationwide submit resignations in protest of government’s policy

A doctor holds a resignation letter at a university hospital in Daegu, South Korea, a day ahead of a work stoppage by doctors protesting against a plan to expand medical schools. Yonhap News Agency

Trainee doctors began submitting their resignations in protest against the government’s policy to increase the number of medical school admissions. The submission of resignation letters en masse by interns and resident doctors who oppose the government's policy is spreading across the country beyond Seoul's major five hospitals consisting of Seoul National University Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Asan Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Trainee doctors at some hospitals, including Severance Hospital, are also refusing to show up for work, causing delays in treatments and surgeries there. The government emphasized the principle by ordering medical doctors to keep treating patients, and the National Police Agency chief announced a strict investigation policy, saying he would consider arresting and investigating the leader of the strike.

Severance Hospital said on February 19 that around 600 out of the hospital's 612 trainee doctors submitted their resignations and some did not show up for work that morning. Park Dan, the chairman of the Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA) who works at the hospital's emergency room, also submitted his resignation on the same day.

The movement of trainee doctors to submit resignations is spreading nationwide.Doctors at major general hospitals in most parts of the country, including Pusan National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Inha University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, Ajou National University Hospital, and Jeju National University Hospital, submitted their resignations on Monday.

Their resignation letters are not effective immediately as the government had earlier ordered hospitals nationwide not to accept the resignations and not to allow trainee doctors to use their annual leave. The doctors are expected to raise the level of collective action by refusing to go to work. Earlier, trainee doctors at Seoul's major five hospitals announced that they would submit their resignations by the 19th and stop working from 6 a.m. on the 20th. Immediately, 44 trainees of Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital as well as Severance Hospital submitted their resignations and did not show up for work that morning. The KIRA announced that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting at its office in Yongsan, Seoul at noon on the 20th. It is expected to discuss following countermeasures after refusing to go to work.
The government ordered trainee doctors at 221 hospitals nationwide to return to work based on the medical law, saying, "We are deeply concerned and regretful that trainees are refusing to show up for work.” The Ministry of Health and Welfare is delivering to trainees who stopped working the government’s order to return to work through on-site inspection teams dispatched to each hospital.

Police and prosecutors are also saying that they will strictly respond to medical personnel who lead the movement in violation of the order to resume work, even considering taking them into custody for investigation. In response to the government's move, the KIRA’s emergency committee issued an appeal and said, "We are giving up our role as a doctor because there is no longer hope for the government's pressure to unilaterally push ahead with policies without dialogue."

The government said it will operate an emergency medical treatment system, including opening emergency rooms at military hospitals and extending office hours of public hospitals, in preparation for doctors' collective refusal to show up for work. The government will also operate the “Doctors Collective Action Damage Reporting and Support Center” (phone number 129 without a national code).

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.