[Exclusive]Residents on halting recruitment

[Anchor]

It has been revealed that resident doctors have been discussing the possibility of not accepting new medical students next year since the beginning of this year.

Even though the government has effectively conceded, there is a reason why they remain unmoved.

Reporter Ju Hyun-ji has the exclusive coverage.

[Report]

In January, shortly after the new leadership of the Korean Medical Association was launched.

A representative of residents from a university hospital announced the results of discussions from the residents' council in a social media chat room with fellow residents.

The notice obtained by KBS states that if medical students return, it will be difficult for 7,500 first-year students to have normal classes, and they are waiting for a government proposal to either halt recruitment next year or reduce the number of recruits over the next few years.

This is said to be in order to gain leverage in negotiations, and it is also explained that the leadership of the Medical Association shares the same stance.

The message described the current situation as a "chicken game" between the government, residents, and medical students, where the outcome would be to either win everything or lose everything.

In response, the Medical Association clarified that there was no discussion about quotas in official meetings and that the halt in recruitment next year is merely the opinion of some residents.

Recently, Kim Taek-woo, the president of the Medical Association, stated in a closed meeting that not a single medical student should be recruited next year, which drew backlash from the heads of regional medical associations.

[Kang Hee-kyung/Professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine: "If the quota becomes zero, wouldn't the examinees suffer? I think it is unjust to say that we should not recruit for even the existing 3,058 spots."]

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed through KBS reporting that the names of over 80 residents currently working at Samsung Medical Center were disclosed in a physician community that was searched by police on suspicion of aiding a blacklist in the medical field.

There are concerns that the hardline stance in some parts of the medical community is negatively affecting the return of residents and medical students, who are in a strict hierarchical relationship.

This is Ju Hyun-ji from KBS News.