[2024 국정감사]
As the controversy grew, he actually announced his intention to withdraw.
Lee explains, “Collecting opinions from medical school deans”… Dean’s group “conveys position that 5-year system is impossible”
No: “Minister Lee may be sued for making false statements”… “Government lacks will to resolve conflict”
At the National Assembly Education Committee audit on the 8th, opposition party members attacked the plan to reduce the medical school curriculum from 6 years to 5 years among the ‘Emergency measures for normalization of medical school degrees’ announced by the Ministry of Education on the 6th. In response to this, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho said, “If universities say they can’t do it, they won’t do it,” and announced his intention to give up on pursuing the policy two days after announcing the policy. A dispute over the truth broke out over Deputy Prime Minister Lee’s announcement that he had discussed with medical school deans a plan to shorten the medical school curriculum.
● “The training period may not be shortened”
When asked by Rep. Ko Min-jeong of the Democratic Party of Korea whether he had collected opinions from universities on changing the 6-year medical school system to a 5-year system, Deputy Prime Minister Lee responded, “I mainly communicated with the dean of the medical school.” “We also had regular conversations with the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate Schools of Medicine (KAMC) (a group of medical school deans),” he said. When Assemblyman Ko asked, “Did the KAMC deans have any disagreement on the shortening plan?” Deputy Prime Minister Lee responded, “It is made by receiving various opinions, but it does not mean that the policy is permitted.”
Then, KAMC immediately issued a statement and said, “We communicated with the Ministry of Education to convey the need for approval of the leave of absence requested by the students,” and added, “The Ministry of Education made a statement about the 5-year system for reasons such as the continuous production of medical personnel, so ‘5-year system is impossible.’ He countered by saying, “I clearly conveyed my position.”
Afterwards, Rep. Go said, “We can accuse Minister Lee of making false statements.” Deputy Prime Minister Lee said on this day that he had not discussed in advance the plan to reduce the five-year medical school program with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. When criticism continued, he backed off and said, “We are supporting schools that can do it, so if there is no school that is willing to do it, we won’t do it.”
● Ruling party member criticizes the government and opposition party, saying, “We need to stop acting crazy.”
At the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit on this day, even the ruling party pointed out that the government lacked the will to resolve legislative conflicts.
Rep. Jia Han of the People’s Power Party, a former doctor and classified as ‘pro-limitation’, criticized the President’s Office and the Ministry of Education, saying, “The ruling party is repeatedly making efforts to change the minds of the medical community in vain.” Right after Han Dong-hoon, representative of the People Power Party, suggested that medical groups participate in the ruling and opposition party council, saying, “We will not limit the agenda,” the President’s Office said, “The number of medical school seats for the 2025 school year has left the bow string,” and the Ministry of Education proposed shortening the medical school education period. It was pointed out. He also criticized the government and the opposition party, saying, “Let’s stop acting crazy and do the politics that the people tell us to do,” and drew backlash from opposition party members.
On this day, two of the researchers who wrote the three reports presented by the government as the basis for increasing the number of medical school students by 2,000 appeared in the National Assembly inspection. Shin Young-seok, an honorary research fellow at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said, “Increasing the number of people is absolutely necessary, but I think a soft landing plan like ‘1,000 people over 10 years’ is a good idea.” Kwon Jeong-yeon, a researcher at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), said, “The report suggests a gradual increase in personnel, but both rapid and gradual increases may incur separate costs.”
Park Min-soo, the second vice minister of Health and Welfare, was asked by Democratic Party lawmaker Nam In-soon whether “medical reform will succeed or the medical system will collapse,” and responded, “I believe the medical system will not collapse.” In addition, when opposition party members called for his resignation, he said he had no intention of resigning, saying, “I feel a heavy sense of responsibility, but public officials must fulfill their responsibilities.”
Reporter Choi Yena yena@donga.com
Reporter Yeo Geun-ho yeoroot@donga.com
Reporter Park Seong-min min@donga.com