Military service for residents

[Anchor]

The ongoing conflict in the medical community has expanded to the military service issues of residents who have resigned for over a year.

As the Ministry of National Defense announced its policy to enlist the residents, who became candidates for military enlistment as soon as they resigned, in phases over four years, the residents are protesting, claiming that their right to decide the timing of their enlistment has been taken away.

Reporter Jeong Yeon-wook has the details.

[Report]

Resigned residents gathered in front of the Ministry of National Defense building.

They shout slogans expressing their intention to join the military.

[“Guarantee the right to enlist! (Guarantee it, guarantee it, guarantee it.)”]

As there are movements to amend the regulations for resigned residents to fulfill military obligations in phases over the next four years, residents who have not completed their military service have taken to the streets.

The residents argue that they will have to wait without knowing when they will be enlisted over the next four years.

[Song Ha-yoon/Resigned resident: “If the government arbitrarily decides the enlistment plan, it puts the resigend residents in a position where they cannot make future plans.”]

Residents who enlist as military doctors or public health doctors can postpone their enlistment until the age of 33, considering their training period.

However, if their training is interrupted due to resignation or other reasons, they must enlist in the near future.

According to current regulations, residents who have resigned must enlist next month.

The number of eligible individuals is over 3,300.

This is nearly four times the number of military doctors and public health doctors that the military authorities plan to select this year.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, “It is natural to wait if the supply exceeds the demand at the time of enlistment,” adding, “We cannot give preferential treatment only to medical cadet candidates.”

Last month, the government decided to grant military service exceptions and encouraged the return of resigned residents, but only 108 residents returned.

The residents are considering legal action against the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, but it seems difficult to find a fundamental solution as long as the conflict between the government and the medical community remains unresolved.

This is KBS News, Jeong Yeon-wook.