⚡ SBS News Briefing Key Takeaways
Depletion of Neonatal Specialists Outside the Capital Area and Extreme Overwork:
Professor Lee Byung-gook at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital is enduring consecutive shifts to guard the regional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, with over half of the nation's neonatal specialists concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, medical vacancies outside the capital have reached their limit.
Limitations of Increasing Medical School Quotas and Judicial Risks:
Merely expanding medical school quotas will take at least 12 years before new doctors can enter the field, failing to resolve the immediate crisis. Furthermore, the reality of imposing strict legal and criminal liability on medical actions performed with utmost effort—such as past incidents like the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital case—is pointed out as a decisive reason why doctors avoid this specialty.
Concerns Over Medical Dispute Mediation Act Amendment and Urgency of Regional Systems:
The amended Medical Dispute Mediation Act, scheduled to take effect next year, raises concerns as it automatically initiates procedures for the outcomes of all severe cases, potentially turning doctors into potential criminals. Fostering regional hub hospitals and institutional compensation are urgently needed to guarantee the basic rights of local residents.
※ This article was produced based on a video published on July 23, 2026.
The country keeps urging people to give birth to more children, but the doctors who need to protect and care for those babies continue to disappear. Joining us today are Professor Lee Byung-gook, who guards the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital—one of the frontlines of this crisis—and SBS reporter Han Seong-hee, who reported on-site.
64 Consecutive Hours of Work: How Often in a Week?
Q. We felt sorry even asking you to appear today. When the broadcast aired on 8 News, you were working 64 consecutive hours.
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
Working around 64 consecutive hours happens about once a month, and about 40 hours happens once a week. In the past, as shown in the broadcast of working two consecutive days, that used to happen about once a week. Things have actually improved a bit now. Back then, even after working like that, I could endure it, go back to work the next day, and do morning rounds. But now, the fatigue is definitely severe. I feel that it is getting harder and harder.
Over 4,400 Comments After Broadcast: What Was the Reaction Around You?
Q. More than 4,400 comments were posted on the YouTube video featured with you. Comments like "Even an angel would quit this" and "The professor is giving his own life to the newborns" were left.
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
After watching the broadcast, my mother called and asked, "Were you really working like that?" Once, after completing a two-to-three-day night shift, I was just about to set down the cutlery at a restaurant for a family dinner for my mother's birthday, when I received an urgent call that a mother pregnant with 26-week twins was delivering, so I had to rush back down. Since then, she tells me that I don't need to visit and that looking after the babies well is the best act of filial piety, so I should just focus on taking care of them. There must be many complex emotions. I am truly grateful to those who left kind comments.
Q. The device you are wearing around your neck right now—is that because of a herniated disc?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
Yes. I have a herniated disc, and it worsened over the past month, so the pain spread down to my right arm. I was told I need surgery, but if I get surgery, I would have to leave this post empty. So I am trying to endure it as much as possible by adjusting my posture.
64 Hours of Consecutive Work: What Was It Like to Witness On-Site?
Q. Reporter Han Seong-hee actually watched the professor work 64 consecutive hours on-site, right?
Reporter Han Seong-hee:
Out of the 64-hour shift, I covered 14 hours of the night shift on-site. Including arriving about an hour early to prepare, I observed for about 15 hours. The nurses working alongside the professor work in three shifts, but there was truly not a single moment to rest. The phrase 'on-call 24/7, 365 days a year' didn't quite hit home until I saw it in person; newborns need to be checked every three hours. Since there are many extremely low birth weight infants—premature babies weighing less than 1 kg—their conditions had to be monitored constantly, often accompanied by cardiac echocardiograms and continuous medical procedures.
It Is Not an Easy Job: Why Do You Keep Doing It?
Q. May I ask why you continue to do this work?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
When I was completing my alternative military service in a regional area 15 years ago, a mother pregnant with 28-week twins was told by the largest tertiary general hospital in that province that they couldn't treat her due to a lack of staff, and that she should go to Seoul. I realized that while there are many good doctors and excellent hospitals in Seoul, in non-capital regions, even if there are hospitals, mothers and newborns face extreme discomfort and danger because there are no specialists. That was 15 years ago. I thought that if someone like me stayed in the regions, it could be of some help. The difference between having one doctor and having none is enormous. Although I have no personal ties to non-capital regions, I have been holding out in the regions ever since.
How Severe Is the Medical Gap Outside the Capital Area?
Q. As seen in the recent crisis at Jeonbuk National University Hospital, if a single professor resigns, newborns in that region have nowhere to receive treatment, right?
Reporter Han Seong-hee:
The Korean Society of Neonatology conducted a full survey, which showed that more than half of all neonatal intensive care units are located in the Seoul metropolitan area. Nationwide, there are 65 NICUs and 199 neonatal specialists. Seoul has 90, and Gyeonggi has 33. In contrast, Sejong—which ranks among the top in birth rates in Korea—has 2, Jeonbuk has 2, and Jeju has 2. North Gyeongsang and North Chungcheong have just 1 each.
Why Increasing Medical School Quotas Cannot Be a Fundamental Solution?
Q. The government decided to increase medical school quotas by about 3,000 students from 2027 to 2031. Many say this cannot be a fundamental solution.
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
Personally, I am not very interested in simply increasing the number itself. I don't think that can be a fundamental solution. In terms of freedom of occupational choice, we cannot force doctors into pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology. If we were to train them from the start through a regional doctor admission system, it might be possible since that system is implemented abroad, but simply increasing the total number will not resolve the current situation.
During the previous medical conflict over quota expansion, the government argued that increasing numbers would create a trickle-down effect where someone would go to essential but difficult specialties. However, medical staff entering under such conditions might find it difficult to earn public trust.
Moreover, it takes at least 12 to 15 years for students entering through an expanded medical school quota to become neonatal specialists. But the need for neonatal doctors has existed for 15 years, and we are currently at the critical brink. How we survive right now is what matters, so saying specialists will emerge 15 years later lacks realism. What we need are immediate measures.
What Triggered the Sharp Drop in Pediatrics Application Rates?
Reporter Han Seong-hee:
In 2006 and 2007, the application rate of residents for pediatrics reached 130%. There was a time when applications exceeded capacity. However, starting around 2018, following the incident at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital NICU where medical staff were arrested after infant deaths, application rates plunged. Now, only one or two out of ten applicants choose pediatrics. Among them, virtually no one chooses sub-specializing in neonatology.
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
The Ewha Mokdong Hospital incident was a huge shock to pediatricians. While the various problems at the time were unfortunate, medical staff who had done their best were publicly shown being arrested. Arrest warrants were requested and issued even when the legal requirements for arrest were questionable.
Although they were ultimately acquitted, it ingrained the perception that 'even if you provide normal medical treatment, you may face punishment or suffer similar conditions,' and that 'we are treated as quasi-criminals in a way.' This led to a sharp drop in resident applications, which remains the biggest reason why doctors avoid applying for pediatrics and neonatology.
Q. Have you experienced similar difficulties yourself, Professor?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
I was also tried in court and received a final acquittal verdict in 2020. At the time, after a delivery, there was a tragic outcome for a baby, and the parents naturally wanted to seek legal clarification. I fully understand their feelings. On the other hand, from a doctor's perspective, even when we follow standard treatment procedures, there are many times when we ourselves do not know why the outcome was poor. Not all patients get the same result from the same treatment. When a tragic outcome occurs, we are deeply heartbroken, and sometimes doctors cry in their rooms.
Looking at the complaint filed against me at the time, it stated, 'The baby was born in a poor condition, but the brain damage occurred because the vehicle shook during transfer to another hospital, and that is the medical staff's responsibility.' I hope the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches realize that such claims impose immense psychological pressure on neonatal specialists and make it difficult for them to work.
The Burden of Individual Doctors Bearing All Legal Liabilities: Is a Revision of Medical Law Needed?
Q. Regarding the legal burden where an individual doctor has to take full responsibility for medical care, does the medical law need to be revised?
Reporter Han Seong-hee:
The revised Medical Dispute Mediation Act passed the National Assembly last April. It includes provisions to limit criminal prosecution if a medical accident occurs during essential medical care, provided there was no gross negligence, the duty of explanation was sufficiently fulfilled, and requirements such as compensation for damages were met.
Sub-regulations are currently being drafted with the goal of implementation in May next year. The medical community evaluates that success or failure will depend on how these sub-regulations are shaped. In particular, we must watch whether the law is revised to sufficiently reflect the unique conditions of NICUs, thereby relieving the judicial burden shared across the medical sector.
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
I am fully aware that the original intent was to lighten the burden on medical staff. However, a medical accident claim begins from the premise that the patient suffered harm. It inherently views various outcomes occurring during treatment as damage.
Once the Medical Dispute Mediation Act takes effect, situations that previously ended at a certain level will automatically lead to applications for medical dispute mediation. If death or serious complications occur, procedures are set to initiate automatically regardless of the actual facts. Then we have to spend time explaining and defending ourselves. I treat about 200 to 300 high-risk newborns a year. Among them, one or two inevitably face tragic situations, and some surviving babies develop complications. While most of my patients express gratitude, if two, three, or even 10 to 20 patients file for mediation out of worry, grief, or curiosity, procedures will start automatically.
It is a scientific fact that a certain portion of the patients we treat will have poor outcomes, and we are simply doing our jobs. Yet this system implies that doctors can be treated as potential criminals who might do something wrong to one out of ten patients. That is why many neonatal doctors express opposition and deep concern. While our work cannot be 100% perfect or successful every time, everyone is doing their best. This law seems to create a situation where one or two unfortunate cases stop doctors from caring for the remaining 99 patients. I hope people understand this reality and that it gets reflected for neonatal specialists.
Reporter Han Seong-hee:
The overarching reality shared across the field is the shortage of personnel. Another neonatal specialist put it as 'high risk, no return.' In the long run, conditions should change to encourage residents to choose this specialty by reducing risk and providing returns. In the short term, filling current vacancies is an urgent task. While government policies target personnel graduating years down the road, there needs to be urgent discussion on how to bridge the immediate void.
If One Specialist Leaves, What Is the Impact on Newborns?
Q. In Sejong, there are only two specialists including you. If something happens to one of you or if one gets sick, wouldn't the impact on newborns be devastating?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
Indeed. If even one doctor leaves, the other must handle everything. Since there is a limit to human endurance, physical and mental exhaustion will inevitably degrade the quality of care. While a vacancy exists, pregnant women and newborns have no choice but to go to other regions. Although we cannot establish comprehensive facilities in every single city, continuous support for regional hubs is essential.
For instance, Japan operates major children's hospitals responsible for each prefecture. When a high-risk pregnancy occurs in smaller prefectures, the patient is quickly transferred to a major hospital, treated, stabilized, and then sent back. Not every mother or newborn has to go to Tokyo. In Korea, however, everyone currently has to travel to Seoul.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare launched a pilot project for maternal and child medical collaboration, and our hospital is participating as a lead institution covering as far as North Chungcheong Province. The system itself is good, but because personnel in each region are scarce, providing institutional compensation to recruit and retain doctors at regional severe care institutions would give us the strength to endure.
Ultimately, What Is the Biggest Issue?
Q. If you had to pick just one biggest problem, what would it be?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
Ha (laughs). I'm laughing, but it's really a hollow laugh. If I don't laugh, I can't hold out. So many complex problems are intertwined. Just worrying about all this is exhausting.
Ultimately, if I must point to the root cause, I can only say it is low revenue and a threatening judicial reality. Recent judicial rulings ordering medical staff who did their absolute best on-site to pay compensation send a message not to try your best and to avoid doing this work in the first place. I hope the government and the public maintain continuous interest.
Q. Do you have any final words you would like to share?
Prof. Lee Byung-gook:
In the past, basic human needs were summarized as 'food, clothing, and shelter.' Today, I believe 'medical care' should be added to that list. So that being born in a non-capital region is not a disadvantage and parents don't feel guilty toward their children, basic maternal and child healthcare must be resolved in every region, just as roads are built for citizens to live. Since a single measure won't solve this, all government departments should cooperate and pay attention.
The only force keeping us holding on is public attention and investment. Rather than short-lived interest that fades away, I hope people maintain continuous interest with the mindset of building for the next 15 years, even if we missed the past 15 years.
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.