Professors at medical schools discussed a “weekly day off” that would suspend all treatment and surgeries for outpatients once a week. The reason is that the professors have kept the vacancy of trainee doctors who left hospitals in protest of the increase of medical school admissions for more than two months, and there is need to increase pressure on the government ahead of the confirmation of next year’s admission quota for medical schools.

On April 23, the Emergency Committee of Professors at Seoul National University College of Medicine held a general meeting and decided to have a day off once a week, starting on the 30th. The results of the meeting will be announced at a press conference on the 24th.

The Emergency Committee of Professors at University of Ulsan College of Medicine also held a general meeting and decided to take a weekly day off from May 3. University of Ulsan College of Medicine said, “In a prolonged emergency medical situation, professors have no choice but to readjust their schedules for medical treatment and surgery due to their mental and physical limitations.”

The Emergency Committee of National Medical Professors also held an online general meeting and said, “Professors' mental and physical strength has reached its limit due to more than 70 to 100 hours of work per week in the prolonged emergency situation, so we have decided to take a one-day off next week.” The date will be set at the discretion of each university. The committee added, “We also reaffirmed that the resignation of medical professors will start from April 25 as scheduled.”

The emergency committee consists of professors from more than 20 major medical schools across the country, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and the University of Ulsan. Among those schools, Chungnam National University Hospital and Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital have already decided to stop their treatment for outpatients every Friday from this week. With the decision to take a day-off, it is likely that the shortening of medical treatment will spread to other major hospitals nationwide.

The medical professors claimed that their resignation letters submitted a month ago will take effect on the 25th. The professors' mass resignations and leave of absence seem to reflect the pressure on the government and the voice that "We can't stand it anymore" by filling the vacancy of trainee doctors for two months. There are also concerns that professors who have been suffering from burnout may actually leave hospitals after the 25th.

Hundreds of professors at eight hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University of Korea have decided to submit their resignations on the 26th. The hospitals include St. Mary's Hospitals in Seoul, Yeouido, Uijeongbu, Bucheon, Eunpyeong, Incheon, and Daejeon, and St. Vincent`s Hospital. The emergency committee of the Catholic University of Korea has received resignation letters from professors twice on March 28 and April 3, and has decided to submit them directly to the dean on April 26.

The government reaffirmed its intention to promote medical reform through a briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan. "The government proposed a '5+4 consultative group of the government and medical community' behind closed doors a week ago because there are claims that the medical community wants to have a one-on-one dialogue with the government,“ said Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social affairs. “However, we can't help but express regret because they even rejected this.” He added, "We sincerely ask doctors to participate in a special committee on medical reform and engage in the dialogue with the government, instead of ignoring the pleas of the people and patients and repeating their claim of 'going back to square one with the increase of medical school admissions.”