Four professors from Seoul National University’s medical school have urged medical students and residents who have been absent from hospitals and classrooms for over a year to reconsider their approach, saying their current protest is neither justified nor persuasive to the public.
The professors said the students had spent the past year without presenting a roadmap for improving the medical system or offering a compelling alternative. They criticized the protest as nothing more than tangping—lying flat and doing nothing—combined with opposition without solutions, urging them to make a decision. Their criticism reflects the growing frustration among many S. Koreans who have watched the standoff drag on without progress.
The professors also expressed concern over what they saw as a loss of professionalism, pointing to the tone of online discussions. They said medical news articles were flooded with comments that lacked responsibility toward patients, respect for colleagues, and professional integrity, adding that they were beginning to question whether these were truly the students and junior doctors they once knew.
They further criticized what they viewed as a sense of entitlement among the striking doctors, saying that expecting to be treated as professionals solely because of a medical license was sheer arrogance. While the students and residents saw themselves as victims, the professors argued that the real victims were the patients and families who had been neglected and unable to receive treatment for the past year.
At the same time, they acknowledged that the government was not without fault, noting that its missteps had contributed to the crisis. However, they warned that extreme confrontation would only lead to national ruin and questioned the value of winning under such circumstances. Their remarks align with the views of many who believe the ongoing dispute is unsustainable.
In an effort to end the deadlock, the S. Korean government has offered to restore next year’s medical school admissions cap to the original 3,058 slots if students return by the end of March. With this offer on the table, there is little reason for them to continue their boycott. The government, which initially pushed for a drastic expansion of medical school admissions, has effectively backed down, opening the door for further negotiations.
Yet, as the standoff stretches beyond a year, the consequences continue to mount. Patients remain in distress as they face delayed or unavailable treatment. Medical students and residents blame the government—and they are not wrong. The administration’s decision to push through a significant increase in medical school admissions without sufficient research or public consensus was a serious misstep.
But that does not absolve the doctors of their responsibility. Walking away from patients and staging a strike like a labor union carries its own consequences. Now is the time to return, restore stability in hospitals and classrooms, and resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.
