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The Jinjoo Medical Center struggle in Seoul, Korea is at a critical stage. The Governor of Kyunsangnamdo Province, Hong Joon-Pyo, has been unrelenting in his drive to close Jinjoo Medical Center, a public health care center owned by the municipality, even though it is widely used and much needed by the community.

Sister Yoo Ji-Hyun, KHMU President, intensified her opposition to the closure by changing her hunger strike to a starvation hunger strike, as of May 27, which means she is now refusing to even drink water. Another 20 union activists from KHMU and Jinjoo Medical Center union are also engaged in a hunger strike, as of May 24, in acts of protest.



KHMU submitted a comprehensive reform plan to keep Jinjoo Medical Center open. This was done in collaboration with the unions, medical specialists and health care NGOs but even with compelling information available to him, none of this has resulted in a response from Governor Hong.



His plan is to close Jinjoo Medical Center on May 31st. Earlier, Kyungsangnamdo Province Council postponed adopting a bill to approve closure but this just postponed the decision for some weeks. Now, closure is imminent. Jinjoo Medical Center is the first publicly owned and managed health care center. It has been in operation for 103 years.



Sister Yoo Ji-Hyun insisted that even though Governor Hong would move forward on his short-sighted plan for closure, the Jinjoo Medical Center will not disappear from the Korean medical and health care history. She vowed that the union will transform this fight into a nationwide campaign for a referendum on the closure.



Sister Hyun also committed to demanding an audit from the National Assembly and initiating a lawsuit against the Kyungsangnamdo Province Municipality based on mismanagement and corrupt practices.



Emails and other messages of solidarity to Sister Hyan and these workers can be sent to Jay Choi at the following email address: jayfree24@gmail.com