Seoul Medical Association demands apology from Rep. Yu Young-ha

The Seoul Medical Association is demanding a public apology from National Assembly member Yu Young-ha following remarks regarding military doctors and public health doctors. During a National Defense Committee meeting, Rep. Yu characterized demands to adjust the service periods of these medical professionals as an attempt to “make money” rather than a matter of professional duty.

Hwang Kyu-seok, president of the Seoul Medical Association, held a protest and press conference to condemn the comments, stating that the remarks disparage the dedication of young doctors and misrepresent their request for reasonable service terms as economic greed. Hwang emphasized that adjusting service periods is about ensuring doctors have sufficient time to maintain medical expertise and patient safety, rather than seeking financial gain.

The association also highlighted a growing supply crisis, noting that the number of discharging military doctors (745) significantly exceeds the number of new enlistments (304) this year. They argued that the medical system should not rely solely on the sacrifice of individual doctors to address these structural shortages.