‘Consultative body won’t commence without participation of medical field,’ say ruling and opposition parties

The ruling and opposition parties of South Korea said on Monday that the medical field should participate in the consultative body among the two parties, the medical field, and the government and that they would try to convince those in the medical field together. “The consultative body should be formed by making the utmost efforts to encourage the medical field’s participation,” said the presidential office. While the medical community proposed a precondition of nullifying the plan to increase the number of medical students in 2025 and 2026, both parties and the government announced that the consultative body requires the medical field to join in. “Nullification of the plan to increase medical students is the minimum requirement to ensure the return of interns and residents,” the Korea Medical Association said in its statement released on Monday.

While the presidential office reconfirmed its opposition to reconsidering the plan for 2025 by adding that it can confuse those studying for entrance exams to medical schools, it revealed that there is room for negotiation, saying that they may discuss adding zero students once the medical field participates in the consultative body. Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the People Power Party, and Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, had the first meeting to discuss the establishment of the consultative body, presided by Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik. “The medical field’s participation is the most important,” Choo told correspondents after the meeting. “The government and the ruling party are working on it and will continue to do so.” “The opposition has also proposed a consultative body, so we should focus more on resolving issues related to this before and after the Chuseok holiday,” said Park.

“The medical community is also considering participation,” said Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, during the party’s supreme council on Monday. “The government should be careful with its judicial responses, such as summoning interns and residents,” Han asked the police to refrain from excessive investigation of former and current leadership of the Korea Medical Association about their charges of encouraging the mass resignation of interns and residents and emphasized the message to attract the medical community to join the consultative body. Han and other ruling party leadership have contacted the Korea Medical Association, the Medical Professors Association of Korea, the Korean Intern Resident Association, and other physician groups to convince them to participate.


Sung-Min Park min@donga.com