Lee Guk-jong, director of the National Defense Medical Center, noted that the increase in general soldiers serving as doctors may create gaps in the military medical system.
On the 24th, a video titled 'We met Professor Lee Guk-jong in person to hear his story' was uploaded to the YouTube channel of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA). In the video, the director stated, 'In our unit alone, doctors are entering as private soldiers.'
The director mentioned that the number of cases of joining the military as medical officers has decreased due to improvements such as better guaranteed rest for general soldiers compared to officers. The issue is that similar roles cannot be expected. He said, 'Due to laws and regulations, we cannot place many responsibilities on soldiers,' adding, 'Even if we say we will allow soldiers to perform the unique duties of doctors, they still dislike it.' He continued, 'They say they will finish their service quickly and prefer to do simple tasks.'
The director expressed concern about the shortage of military personnel due to population decline. He stated, 'Korea is currently facing a crisis of population extinction, and not only soldier resources but also officer resources, pilot resources, doctor resources, and nurse resources are all disappearing,' and emphasized, 'As resources decrease, we need to think about operating efficiently.'
To prevent gaps in the military medical system, the director proposed civil-military cooperation and utilizing the reserve system. He said, 'There is no difference in the protocols for treating civilians or soldiers,' and emphasized, 'It is necessary to share the advanced aspects of civilian healthcare with military healthcare and gradually eliminate the boundaries.'
The director also mentioned, 'In the case of the United States, the professor who taught me has been deployed four times,' stating, 'If this reserve system is not properly organized, a very big crisis will occur.'
On the 14th, the director gave a lecture to officer cadets, criticizing the aversion to required courses, conflicts in the medical field, and structural problems in large hospitals. During this process, he made remarks such as, 'There is no hope in Chosun, so if you dislike it, you should leave Chosun like a monk leaving a temple,' which resulted in controversy and an apology.