Intern Doctor Will Compel South Korean Deputy Minister of Health for Alleged Abuse of Power

Illustrtion of the doctor. (Unsplash / lcma1028)

JAKARTA - More than 1,300 South Korean intern doctors will file a complaint against Second Deputy Health Minister Park Min-soo for alleged abuse of power, one of the junior doctors said on Monday, as their general strike has been going on for almost eight weeks.

A total of 1,360 intern doctors will ask the High Officials Corruption Investigation Office to investigate Park, accusing him of abusing power and interfering with the exercise of their rights, Jung Geun-young, a former representative of junior doctors at Cha Bundang University Medical Center told reporters.

The Health Ministry has ordered medical interns, who left their workplaces on February 20 after submitting mass resignations in protest against the government's plan to increase the number of medical students, to return to work.

On the other hand, the hospital has not yet accepted their resignations.

"The government has abused its power to prohibit hospitals from processing the resignations of junior doctors, and issued back-to-work orders to make young doctors work against their wishes," said Jung, reported by The Korea Times, April 16.

Jung further emphasized that the government had obstructed the implementation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including their freedom to choose work and not do forced labor.

"We demand the immediate dismissal of Second Deputy Health Minister Park Min-soo," Jung said.

"Park has led misguided policies, ignoring people's rights and disrupting the constitutional order throughout the process," he continued.

Jung also said that doctors who are still in training will not return to work unless the government fires Park.