Press Coverage

Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced on the 15th that it has signed an MOU with the Korea Electric Power Industry Small and Medium Business Association (KEISA) to respond to the expansion of the Serious Accident Punishment Act on the 15th by advising small and medium-sized companies nationwide and cooperating in promoting energy-related projects. At the signing ceremony held at Daeryun Law Firm's Seoul headquarters, Daeryun CEO Kim Kuk-il, Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group Manager Jo Joon-ho, KEISA Chairman Kim Ji-gon, and Park Dong-won. Advisory committee members attended. Through this agreement, the two organizations decided to cooperate in providing advice on the Punishment Act for Serious Accidents to general members of small and medium-sized businesses and promoting ESG and energy-related projects. KEISA is an organization representing small and medium-sized companies in the domestic power sector, and was launched in 2020 with approval as a non-profit corporation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. In particular, private small and medium-sized energy companies, domestic and foreign public enterprises and large corporations, and mid-sized and large law firms, etc. The organization was formed to create synergy. Daeryun plans to quickly present guidelines tailored to the characteristics of small and medium-sized businesses and provide follow-up management in relation to the company's biggest issues, such as the Severe Accident Punishment Act and ESG, and provide follow-up management. Chairman Kim Ji-gon said, "Daeryun is a law firm with a nationwide network that is different from the existing KEISA special member law firms. With this business agreement, member firms located in local regions will receive more diverse legal services." Kim Kuk-il said. The CEO said, “By entering into a business agreement with KEISA and signing up as a special member, we will be able to achieve mutual development by responding to the Severe Accident Punishment Act and sharing overall labor issues,” and added, “We will help strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized companies by generously supporting legal advice in all business areas needed by the association and member companies.” He added, “We have the largest number of offices in the country, so we expect member companies to be able to receive legal advice nearby.” “We have established a collaboration system to provide support, so we can provide prompt advice and response,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, Daeryun has 36 offices nationwide and has 230 professional lawyers.  [View full article] Sports Seoul - Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) and KEISA, MOU for corporate legal affairs, including response to the Severe Accident Punishment Act Financial News - Daeryun Law Firm and KEISA, MOU for corporate legal affairs, including response to the Serious Accident Punishment Act

“Providing legal advice for business growth such as new and renewable energy” Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced on the 14th that it signed a business agreement for legal advice with SB Electric and Sambaek Solar Power. At the MOU signing ceremony held at SB Electric headquarters, officials including Daeryun Kim Kuk-il, senior attorney Jo Woori, SB Electric CEO Seok-nyeon Seo, Sambaek Solar Power CEO Dae-gyeon Kim, and General Manager Kim Hak-jo attended the MOU signing ceremony. attended. SB Electric is a company whose main industries include electrical construction, RPS business (solar power) consulting, and solar power plant structure manufacturing and installation. Sambaek Solar is a subsidiary of SB Electric, and is in the same business as SB Electric, and also invests in manufacturing new and renewable energy facilities. Daeryun Law Firm declared the popularization of high-quality legal services and soared to one of the top 10 law firms in Korea, operating the largest number of offices in the country. Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to cooperate in △ review of laws related to energy business △ legal advice such as contracts, △ promotion of seminars and training for joint projects. SB Electric CEO Seok-nyeon Seo said, “We have signed this agreement for the growth of eco-friendly businesses such as solar power,” and added, “We will achieve diversification of the new and renewable energy business with help from legal disputes.” Sambaek Solar Power Kim Dae-gyeon The CEO said, “Solar energy is a new and renewable energy that is currently in the spotlight,” and added, “I hope this agreement will be an opportunity to help everyone.” Daeryun CEO Kim Kuk-il said, “We will provide legal advice to help develop new businesses. We currently have a corporate and legal group within Daeryun, and experts such as lawyers, tax accountants, and accountants are collaborating together. We will not spare any support in areas that require expert help.”  [View full article] - Daeryun Law Firm signed an MOU for corporate legal advice with SB Electric and Sambaek Solar Power

[Supreme Court] 41 workers who performed tasks such as supporting cold-rolled steel sheet production at Hyundai Steel's Suncheon plant as part of an in-house partner company that signed a contract with Hyundai Steel, excluding 11 people in machine maintenance, etc., were hired as Hyundai Steel employees. The second division of the Supreme Court (Justice Dong-won Lee, presiding judge) ruled on March 12 that Hyundai Steel In the appeal trial (2019Da28966, etc.) of a lawsuit filed against Hyundai Steel by 52 workers from an in-house partner company, saying, "Please express your intention to hire them and pay damages equivalent to the difference in wages received by Hyundai Steel's regular workers," it was stated that "41 of the plaintiffs, excluding 11, and the defendant were in a worker dispatch relationship," and "Hyundai Steel expressed its intention to hire these 41 people. However, with regard to the 11 workers who performed level 0 mechanical and electrical maintenance work and utility facility maintenance and management work, the lower court ruled that the worker was dispatched, saying, "It is difficult to conclude that they were in a worker dispatch relationship under direction and orders from the defendant," and remanded the case to the Gwangju High Court. The Supreme Court said, "The original court said, It was determined that the fact that the plaintiffs (41 people) were employed by the defendant's in-house partner company and performed the support process work required for the production of cold-rolled steel sheets, etc., or the production process of lightweight vehicle products at the defendant's Suncheon plant during the period or time that constitutes the requirement for the employment obligation claimed by the plaintiffs constitutes a worker dispatch relationship under direction and orders from the defendant." "The lower court's judgment was justified, and there were errors such as misunderstanding the legal principles regarding worker dispatch. Quoting the original trial, the Supreme Court stated, "It appears that the workers of the in-house partner companies, including the plaintiffs, received instructions or supervision from the defendant regarding work performance while performing relatively simple and repetitive work in processes that can be seen as part of the production process of cold-rolled steel sheets at the defendant's Suncheon plant. It was stated that "work could not be performed by violating or arbitrarily changing the work method, work order, work content, work speed, or work location." In addition, "the work performed by the workers of the in-house partner company needs to be done in conjunction with the flow of the production process, such as cold-rolled steel sheets at the Suncheon plant, and the work hours and rest times of the workers of the in-house partner company are set the same as those of the defendant's workers, and the defendant's workers and the in-house partner company for each process. “The workers can be assessed as virtually forming a single work group,” he said, adding, “The defendant appears to have exerted significant influence over the personnel and attendance status of the workers of the in-house partner company. Even in cases where the in-house partner company closes down and a new in-house partner company signs a contract and performs the work, it is difficult to say that the in-house partner company actually exercised its right to assign work to its workers by succeeding the existing workers and carrying out the existing work without changing the actual work details.” According to the appellate court, the in-house partner companies only operated at the Suncheon plant without the expertise and technical skills for the relevant contract work, or the physical facilities and fixed assets necessary to perform the work, and most of them were established for the service contract with Hyundai Steel, but closed down immediately after the contract was terminated. In the appellate trial, attorney Ki-deok Kim and Daeryun Law Firm represented the plaintiffs. Hyundai Steel was represented by Jipyong Law Firm.  [View full article] - [Labor] ‘Dispatch relationship’ recognized for 41 workers from an in-house partner company at Hyundai Steel’s Suncheon plant

Support for legal information such as start-up contracts… As for assistance in responding to disputes, Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced on the 12th that it signed a legal advisory MOU with the Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association on the 28th of last month. Attending the business agreement ceremony were Kwak Min-seop, chief general counsel at Daeryun Law Firm, and Wi Tae-gyeom, chairman of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association. Through this business agreement, Daeryun provides legal information and responds to various disputes related to startup support projects. The Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association is collaborating with startup-related organizations to revitalize entrepreneurship. In particular, Daeryun and the Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association plan to hold seminars and training for joint projects to share information for start-up support tailored to local conditions. Daeryun operates a corporate legal group comprised of lawyers specializing in corporate law, including legal advisory groups for large corporations and public institutions, and plans to provide all legal services necessary for starting a business. Chief General Counsel Kwak Min-seop said, "Currently, Daeryun has groups in each field, so we can respond not only to corporate law but also to various fields. We will utilize all of Daeryun's resources to help the Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association and contribute to the development of local start-up businesses." “I have high expectations as it is expected to make a significant contribution to creating a local startup ecosystem.” Meanwhile, Daeryun Law Firm (Lihan) is a law firm with the largest number of branches in Korea and provides one-stop legal services through an advanced digital collaboration system.  [View full article] - Daeryun Corporate Legal Group, legal advisory MOU with Gwangju-Jeonnam Startup Support Business Association

Expected to strengthen the capabilities of the Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced that it signed an MOU for mutual cooperation in the field of digital forensics with HM Company on the 8th. At the business agreement ceremony on this day, Daeryun Law Firm CEO Kuk-il Kim, Vice President Min-young Han, General Manager Seung-jin Ahn, Shin Yong-hak, Manager of the Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group, HM Company CEO Geun-ho Cho, Vice-CEO Yong-hoon Lee, Managing Director Jae-hyeon Park, and Director Myeong-chan Park attended. Daeryun Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group, a law firm, has its own forensic equipment and is staffed by professional investigators who have acquired detective qualifications. Depending on the client's needs, we directly collect evidence from the initial stage of the case. HM Company provides internal audit and compliance risk diagnosis services using digital forensic technology. At its own technology research center, it has developed a digital data review platform, messenger decryption solution, and imaging equipment and is using them for a variety of tasks. This business agreement was prepared to respond to the increasing demand for digital forensics from companies by combining HM Company's experience, technology, and capabilities with the professional manpower and technology of Daeryun Law Firm's Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group. In addition, Daeryun Law Firm provides services not only to companies but also to various civil and criminal law firms. We expect that faster and more professional evidence collection will be possible in cases as well. CEO Geun-ho Cho said, “The number of cases where various regulatory agencies are conducting digital forensic investigations and investigations into companies has increased rapidly. As the use of digital forensics continues to increase, we will communicate with Daeryun Evidence Investigation and Digital Forensics Group and generously share our capabilities.” CEO Kuk-il Kim said, “The importance of digital forensics in various corporate and criminal cases is increasing.” “We have promoted a business agreement to prepare the optimal solution to respond to this,” he explained, adding, “We will provide more systematic and professional one-stop legal services by promoting information sharing, joint seminars, and training with HM Company.”   [View full article] - Daeryun Law Firm Evidence Investigation/Digital Forensics Group, MOU for mutual cooperation in digital forensics field with HM Company

Daeryun, legal consultation for executives and employees, legal advice on international transactions, internal human resources and labor advice. Also manages major legal issues including the Fair Trade Act, Labor Standards Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Act. Daeryun Kim Kook-il, CEO of Daeryun, said, "We will continue to discuss pending issues with Hiple... and achieve win-win development." Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced that it has signed a legal advisory MOU for win-win development with Hiple Co., Ltd. On the 11th, Daeryun is in Seoul. It was announced on the 7th that Daeryun's CEO Kuk-il Kim, Chief General Counsel Won Hyeong-il, and CEO Jae-min Cho of Hiple Co., Ltd. attended the agreement ceremony held at KDB Life Tower, the headquarters. Hiple Co., Ltd. is a leading company in the field of pharmaceutical raw materials that engages in pharmaceutical wholesale business. We are supplying raw materials to domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies through pharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing, and distribution. Through this agreement, Daeryun supports ▲ legal consultation for executives and employees, ▲ legal advice on international transactions, ▲ review of certification and patents, ▲ in-house personnel and labor advice, and ▲ civil and criminal litigation representation. In addition, Daeryun provides various services such as medical, corporate law, intellectual property rights, fair trade, customs, and international trade. We plan to provide three-dimensional and comprehensive legal advice by utilizing a group specializing in the field. In addition, we plan to manage major legal issues such as the Fair Trade Act, Labor Standards Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Act, and review whether there are any violations of local laws related to overseas investment. Chief attorney Daeryun Won-il said, "As issues such as fair trade and serious disasters are continuously emerging, we will provide focused legal advice support on these issues." “We will help Hiple grow into a global company,” said Cho Jae-min, CEO of Hiple. “Domestic pharmaceutical regulations are so severe that they can be considered a collection of regulations from developed countries in the United States, Japan, and Europe. The pharmaceutical industry has more problems such as deviations in various processes than other occupations,” and added, “With Daeryun’s legal support, work efficiency has been improved in matters such as fair trade, overlapping trade regulations, and restructuring strategy planning after the acquisition of Dongindang Pharmaceutical.” “We expect this to increase,” he emphasized. “Daeryun’s medical specialty group can respond quickly to drug-related incidents and accidents. In particular, we also operate various professional groups, including civil and criminal, that can flexibly resolve linked cases,” he said. “We will continue to discuss pending issues that arise in the field with Hiple and expand the corporate consulting field to achieve win-win development,” he said.  [View full article] Daylian - Daeryun Law Firm signed an MOU with Hiple Co., Ltd. for medical legal advice Laforsian - Daeryun Law Firm signed a business agreement with Hiple Co., Ltd. for ‘medical legal advice’

Providing legal advice for the growth of urban maintenance business Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) signed a business agreement with Guneun City Maintenance System, headquartered in Busan Metropolitan City, for legal advice on corporate legal affairs in various fields, including construction and real estate. According to Daeryun on the 11th, the business agreement held at Guneun City Maintenance System headquarters on the 10th included Daeryun Chief Attorney Park Seong-dong and Kim Seong-gun, Guneun City Maintenance System. The CEO and other officials attended. Geon-eun City Maintenance System is a professional maintenance business management company in charge of overall business management in the maintenance project, specializing in the establishment of cooperatives, various permits, business implementation approval, and management and disposition approval. Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to cooperate with each other in △ responding to disputes in the cooperative maintenance project △ reviewing laws related to the maintenance project △ preventing and predicting maintenance project problems in advance △ legal advice on various contracts, and △ promoting seminars and training for joint projects. “With this agreement, we have been able to effectively respond to disputes or problems in the cooperative maintenance project,” said Kim Seong-geon, CEO of Geon-eun Urban Maintenance System. “The maintenance project has been successfully promoted.” He expressed his expectation, saying, “We will receive legal help to make this happen.” Park Seong-dong, Daeryun’s chief general counsel, said, “I am thrilled to be able to directly help with the urban residential environment maintenance project.” He added, “Daeryun will provide legal advice to ensure that there are no setbacks in carrying out various projects beyond the maintenance project.”  [View full article] iNews24 - Daeryun Law Firm, Guneun City Maintenance System and Construction/Real Estate Corporate Legal Service Agreement Money Today - Daeryun Law Firm (Limited), Guneun City Maintenance System and Construction/Real Estate Corporate Legal Service MOU

Establishment of a nationwide response system based on experience in handling numerous public official election law cases "Collaboration with lawyers and experts across all departments... Strength of rapid response" Daeryun Law Firm (Limited) announced on the 13th that it is providing specialized legal services by separately forming the '2024 Election Response TF' to respond to the 22nd National Assembly election to be held on April 10. The Election Response TF, launched last February, is comprised of the existing criminal group and evidence investigation and digital forensics groups. Among the professional lawyers and experts, we separately selected and formed personnel with extensive experience in election-related cases and expertise in cases of violations of the Public Official Election Act. The members of the election response task force are all former courts, prosecutors, and police officers with long legal experience, and have experience responding to a variety of cases. Chief attorney Kim In-won, who served as chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, served as the team leader, and CEO Kim Kuk-il served as the deputy team leader. In particular, Dae-ryun Taking advantage of having the largest number of branches nationwide (36), we established a nationwide response system by including attorneys residing in regional offices as team members. The team members include ▲Chief Managing Attorney Na Chang-soo and Park Seong-dong, Managing Attorney Kim Young-min (Seoul) ▲Chief Managing Attorney Seo Bong-ha (Suwon) ▲Chief Managing Attorney Kim Eun-young (Goyang) ▲Son Hyuk Chief attorney (Daegu) ▲ Chief attorney Hyeong-yoon Kang (Daejeon) ▲ Chief attorney Min-seop Kwak (Gwangju) ▲ Chief attorney Jin-won Kim, Geun-soo Kim, and Il-kwon Lee (Busan) joined. Daeryun, which manages all cases centered on the headquarters, has prepared a digital system so that the management of this election incident can also be integrated and managed at the headquarters. Along with these, investigative experts are deployed. The evidence investigation and digital forensics groups are collaborating. The forensic group's capabilities and technologies were used to analyze public opinion trends, and a one-stop legal service strategy was established by completing a review of laws and precedents related to the April 10 general election. Under the Public Official Election Act, if a fine of more than 1 million won is confirmed, the member will lose his or her position as a member of the National Assembly. The Daeryun Election Response TF provides ▲ legal advice during the election preparation and election campaign stages ▲ and ▲ provides legal advice on violations of the Public Official Election Act. We provide legal services tailored to the situation in each field, including investigation, complaint and complaint activities, ▲ defense activities during the investigation and trial of cases under the Public Official Election Act, and ▲ response to the spread of false information. Daeryun has been leading the way in protecting the rights of clients through professional defense activities regarding cases of violations of the Public Official Election Act. Representative examples include the defense case of a violation of the Public Official Election Act due to a violation of restrictions on donations by a city representative from City A, and a private organization during the election campaign of a member of City B. There are cases of defense of violations of the Public Official Election Act due to establishment and installation, and cases of defense of violation of the Public Official Election Act by interfering with the election campaign of a member of the National Assembly-elect in City C. In relation to this year's April 10 general election, we are providing professional advice to help clients focus entirely on election campaigns without worrying about violations of the Public Official Election Act. CEO Kook-il Kim said, "I have accumulated more data and practical experience than anyone else while handling cases of violation of the Public Official Election Act that occur across the country." “Our strength is that we can respond more quickly than any other law firm to protecting our clients’ rights by having experts from the court, prosecution, and police collaborate to handle one case,” he said.  [View full article] - Daeryun Law Firm (Lihan) forms the ‘2024 Election Response TF’… Focused on lawyers specializing in public election law

It is still in the announcement and planning stage. It is difficult to recognize the ‘qualification as a plaintiff’ from the Korean Association of Professors. Police summon Su-ho, Chairman Su-ho, as suspect. Chairman Joo, “They do not acknowledge the facts of the charges.” The police have begun a full-scale investigation into complaints and accusations related to the Korean Medical Association. The police will begin summonsing former and current executives of the Korean Medical Association, while also verifying the truth of the suspicion that pharmaceutical company employees were forcibly mobilized to the Korean Medical Association rally. While medical school professors have also filed a cancellation lawsuit opposing the government's expansion of medical schools, legal experts say there is a high possibility that this lawsuit will be dismissed without the court's decision. On the 6th, the Public Crimes Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency summoned Su-ho Joo, Chairman of the Media and Public Relations Committee of the Emergency Response Committee of the Medical Association, as a suspect and investigated whether he instigated or aided the group actions of medical residents. Chairman Joo, who came out after about 10 hours of police interrogation, said, “I said I did not admit to the allegations,” and “I was asked about my relationship with the (Korean Medical Association) officials who were summoned with me and the suspicions in general.” Previously, Chairman Joo held a press conference before entering the public crime investigation unit and said, “Because I have never instigated (the mass resignation of majors), the crime of instigation is not established,” and “The MZ generation (born in the early 1980s to early 2000s) is a new generation. We do not follow our seniors just because they do this or that.” Starting with Chairman Joo, the police plan to sequentially investigate former and current executives of the Korean Medical Association who were reported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Separately from this, an investigation into the ‘suspicion of mobilizing pharmaceutical company employees to rally’ is expected to begin soon. The day before, the Korean Medical Association filed a complaint against Mr. A, whose name is unknown, to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation of character). In response to the government's judicial action, representatives of the professor councils of 33 medical schools across the country filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court the day before against the Minister of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education to cancel the increase in medical schools by 2,000 students for the 2025 school year. An application for a temporary injunction was also filed to suspend execution until the results of the main lawsuit are announced. The Faculty Council largely claims that the subject, procedure, and contents of the medical school increase are illegal. First, the Minister of Health and Welfare does not have the authority to determine university admission quota under the Higher Education Act, but he increased the quota. In addition, it is claimed that the procedure for rationally adjusting the interests of stakeholders was omitted, and the content was not based on objective and fair evidence in the medical field. Contrary to the claims of medical school professors, the legal community agreed that it is difficult for the government's expansion of medical school quota to become an administrative disposition subject to cancellation lawsuits. According to precedent, administrative disposition must be ‘an exercise of public power by an administrative agency that directly affects the rights and obligations of the people by enforcing laws on specific facts.’ However, the government’s policy to expand the quota is still in the announcement or planning stage, so it does not have ‘administrative disposition.’ Questions are also raised about whether the Faculty Council is suitable as a plaintiff. Attorney Choi Hyeon-deok (Daeryun Law Firm) said, “The plaintiff in the cancellation lawsuit must be a person who is directly affected by the rights and obligations, but it is difficult to see that a medical school professor and the increase in medical schools have this kind of relationship.”  [View full article] Medical school professors file lawsuit against government to cancel staff increase... What is the issue? [‘Medical crisis’ emergency] Is it possible to ‘cancel the increase in medical schools’ raised by professors? “There is a high possibility of rejection.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government is pressing ahead with its vow to suspend the licenses of thousands of junior doctors who ignore its repeated demands to end their collective walkouts. Nearly 9,000 out of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents have been refusing to work for about two weeks to protest a government plan to increase South Korea’s medical school admission quota by about two thirds. Here are some questions and answers about what’s next in the strike: HOW DOES THE SUSPENSION WORK?After their walkouts caused hundreds of surgeries and other treatments to be canceled, the government ordered the junior doctors to return to work by Feb. 29 or face license suspensions and possible legal charges. Most of them missed the deadline. On Monday, the government dispatched officials to about 50 hospitals to formally confirm the absence of striking doctors, before informing them of their license suspensions and giving them a chance to respond. Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said the doctors face a minimum three-month suspension. Suspension records will leave them facing more than one year of delay in getting licenses for specialists and further barriers in landing jobs, Park said. Park suggested it would take weeks to complete procedures for suspending licenses. Once it’s done, some striking doctors will likely respond with legal action. Hyeondeok Choi, partner at the law firm Daeryun that specializes in medical law, said it would be “impossible” for the government to suspend the licenses of all the 9,000 doctors. He said the government would likely target less than 100 of the leading strikers. The Korea Medical Association, which represents 140,000 doctors in South Korea, said it supports the junior doctors’ walkouts. Joo Sooho, a spokesperson at the KMA’s emergency committee, said Monday that senior doctors are considering economic support for the strikers if their licenses are suspended. WHAT OTHER STEPS THE STRIKERS CAN FACE?South Korea’s medical law says doctors who refuse the government’s back-to-work order can face up to three years in prison or a 30 million won ($22,480) fine, as well as up to one year of license suspensions. Those sent to prison or given even suspended prison sentences automatically lose their licenses. The Health Ministry can file complaints with police, who then investigate and hand the case to prosecutors for a possible indictment, according to Choi, the law firm partner. Joo said the Korea Medical Association will provide lawyers to the striking doctors if they are summoned by police or prosecutors. South Korean police said they are investigating five senior members of the Korea Medical Association, after the Health Ministry filed complaints against them for allegedly inciting and abetting the junior doctors’ walkouts. WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?The doctors’ strikes have so far failed to generate public support, with a survey showing about 80% backing the government’s school enrollment plan. The government says South Korea urgently needs more doctors to deal with a rapidly aging population. Many doctors say a too-steep increase in the number of students would eventually result in undermining medical service. Some critics say doctors, one of the highest-paid professions in South Korea, worry about losing their income. Lee Yeonha, 40, said the striking doctors were “too selfish” and a three-month license suspension is too little. “I wish the government would take more powerful legal action to get the doctors to fear that they may not be able to work as doctors in this country,” Lee said. Another Seoul resident, Sunny Shin, supports the arguments by doctors that the government must first resolve fundamental problems such as a lack of medical liability protection and a shortage of doctors in key yet low-paying specialties such as pediatrics and emergency departments. “As long as the crucial sector doctors are likely to be embroiled in lawsuits and still not highly paid, I cannot blame them for protesting against the government labeling them as privileged people neglecting their duties as doctors,” Shin said. [Translation] Seoul, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean government is going ahead with its pledge to suspend the licenses of thousands of junior doctors who have ignored repeated calls to end mass strikes. About 9,000 of the 13,000 medical school residents in Korea have refused to go to work for about two weeks to protest the government's plan to increase the number of students admitted to Korea's medical schools by about two-thirds. Here are some questions and answers about the next steps in the strike. How does the suspension work? After hundreds of surgeries and other treatments were canceled due to the strike, the government ordered junior doctors to return to work by February 29. Failure to do so may result in your license being suspended and legal charges being filed. Most missed the deadline.The government dispatched civil servants to about 50 hospitals on Monday to officially confirm that there was no intention to strike, notified them of the suspension of their licenses, and gave them an opportunity to respond. Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo said the doctors would be suspended for at least three months. A record of suspension would delay obtaining professional certification by more than a year and create further barriers to employment, Park said. Park suggested it would take several weeks to complete the license suspension process. Once completed, some striking doctors will likely respond with legal action. Choi Hyeon-deok, a partner at Daeryun, a law firm specializing in medical law, said it was “impossible” for the government to suspend the licenses of all 9,000 doctors. He said the government would likely target fewer than 100 of the main strikers. The Korean Medical Association, which represents 140,000 doctors in Korea, said it supports the strike by junior doctors. Joo Su-ho, spokesman for the Korean Medical Association's emergency response headquarters, said Monday that senior doctors were considering providing financial support to strikers if their licenses are suspended. What other steps might strikers face? Under South Korea's medical law, doctors who refuse government orders to return to work can face up to three years in prison, a fine of 30 million won ($22,480) and a license suspension of up to a year. Anyone who is incarcerated or even sentenced to probation automatically loses their license. According to lawyer Choi of the law firm, the Ministry of Health can file a complaint with the police and then the police can investigate the case and then hand it over to the prosecution for possible prosecution. Joo said the Korean Medical Association will provide lawyers to striking doctors if they are summoned by police or prosecutors. The police announced that they are investigating five high-ranking executives of the Korean Medical Association who were accused by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of inciting and abetting a strike by junior doctors. What are people saying? The doctors' strike has so far failed to garner public support, with surveys showing around 80% support the government's school enrollment plan. The government said the country urgently needs more doctors to cope with its rapidly aging population. Many doctors say that increasing student numbers too steeply could ultimately undermine health care. Some critics say doctors, one of the country's highest-paid professions, are worried about loss of income. Yeonha Lee (40) said that the striking doctors were “too selfish” and that the three-month license suspension was too little. Mr. Lee said, “I wish the government would take stronger legal measures so that doctors can feel the fear that they may not be able to practice as doctors in this country.” Another Seoul resident, Sunny Shin, supports the doctors' argument that the government must first address fundamental problems such as lack of medical liability protection and a shortage of doctors in key but low-paying specialties such as pediatrics and emergency rooms. “As long as doctors in critical fields are likely to be embroiled in lawsuits and still do not receive high salaries, we cannot blame them for protesting against the government labeling them as a privileged class who neglect their duties as doctors,” Shin said. [View full article] - What’s next for South Korean doctors who face license suspensions because of walkouts