The ruling and opposition parties’ consultative body is in trouble even before it starts
Discussions on forming a council of ruling and opposition parties to increase medical school enrollment have been difficult from the beginning. With applications for the early admissions process starting on the 9th, medical groups are demanding a “re-examination of the 2025 medical school enrollment increase” as a condition for participating in the council. They are also demanding an apology from President Yoon Seok-yeol. However, the government is taking the position that “adjusting the size of the 2025 enrollment increase is impossible” and is opposing the president’s apology.
According to the medical community on the 8th, medical organizations are maintaining their position that “if the 2025 school year increase is not included in the discussion, we will not participate.” In particular, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) took an even harder line on that day, saying, “Since it takes more than two years to discuss increasing medical school enrollment, if the 2025 and 2026 school year increase is canceled, the 2027 school year enrollment quota can be discussed.” KMA spokesperson Choi Anna said, “(If the government is pushing for an increase next year) there is no reason for the KMA to discuss the 2026 school year quota,” and added, “Before asking doctors to come up with a single plan, the ruling and opposition parties should first come up with a single plan.”
The government’s position is that the 2025 admissions quota, which was set at 4,610, cannot be adjusted, considering the confusion of test takers and parents, as applications for the early admissions process will begin on the 9th. However, an official from the Blue House did not close off the possibility of discussion, saying, “Please come to the table for discussion. Let’s talk there.” The government’s position is that the medical community must present its opinion before discussing the quota for medical schools after the 2026 school year. The Blue House is also maintaining its position that it “cannot accept” the apology from President Yoon and the dismissal of the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, as demanded by some medical groups and the opposition party.
The ruling and opposition parties are scheduled to make a final decision on how to form a consultative body through a meeting between Speaker Woo Won-shik and the floor leaders of both parties on the 9th. The Democratic Party of Korea is insisting that “the 2025 school year quota should also be discussed” in order to bring medical groups to the table, so it is uncertain whether they will be able to narrow their differences.
Meanwhile, the government is in confusion over whether to discipline 15 military doctors who refused to work in emergency rooms despite being assigned to large hospitals to fill the gap in emergency medical services. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said this morning, “We will discuss with the Ministry of National Defense disciplinary measures for violations of military duty station orders,” but changed its position two hours later, saying, “We have not considered disciplinary measures.”
Medical Association: “Reconsideration of 2025 school year increase” Government: “Need to have dialogue to discuss 2026 school year”
“If the increase in medical school enrollment for the 2025 and 2026 academic years is canceled, the 2027 medical school enrollment quota can be discussed.” (Choi Anna, Spokesperson for the Korean Medical Association)
“The college entrance exam process is currently underway, so adjusting the quota for medical schools for the 2025 school year is not realistic.” (Government official)
The ruling and opposition parties have begun discussions on forming a consultative body to resolve the issue of increasing medical school enrollment, but medical associations and the government confronted each other on the 8th. Regarding the proposal for a consultative body between the ruling and opposition parties, medical associations stated that “we can only participate if we reexamine the increase from the beginning in the 2025 school year,” and went on the offensive, demanding an apology from the president, dismissal of the vice minister of health and welfare, and disclosure of the basis for the decision to increase enrollment.
On the other hand, the government and the ruling party are taking the position that “it is difficult to adjust the 2025 school year quota issue,” and that they cannot accept the remaining demands. Accordingly, there is speculation that the ruling and opposition parties will first form a consultative body and sit down at the discussion table without the participation of the medical community.
● Medical groups raising the level of demand
There are also complaints within the ruling party that medical groups are increasingly increasing their demands. Initially, the KMA did not make an official statement on the 6th when the council proposal was made, and on the 7th, it only made a one-line statement, “What are the reasons and grounds for not being able to re-discuss the 2025 medical school quota?” Then, on that day, it made its first demand to scrap the 2025 and 2026 medical school quota increase.
Park Jun-tae, the People Power Party’s floor spokesperson, drew the line, saying, “Starting tomorrow, applications for the 2025 school year will begin, but it is not desirable to create new confusion at this point.” A ruling party official also said, “The medical community continues to demand greater concessions,” and “We need to first participate in the discussion table.”
Other medical groups are also raising their voices. In a statement released on the 8th, the Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital Professors Emergency Response Committee said, “The essence of the situation is not the increase in medical school enrollment, but the collapse of trust,” and demanded, “Disclose the basis for the increase in medical school enrollment and disclose the minutes of the meeting where opinions from the medical community were collected.” The Gyeonggi Medical Association said on the 7th, “If there is even the slightest sincerity, President Yoon should apologize and immediately dismiss the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare and the Senior Secretary to the President for Social Affairs.” The National Medical School Professors’ Association, a group of medical school professors, stated in a statement released on the 6th, “A consultative body that does not discuss the 2025 school year enrollment is meaningless. It is doubtful whether the People Power Party and the government have the will to resolve the medical crisis.”
● Yongsan, President’s apology and dismissal of person in charge, etc.
An official at the Blue House drew the line on the same day regarding the medical community’s demand for an apology from the president, saying, “While medical reform is in full swing, replacing ministers and vice ministers is unthinkable, and the right to appoint personnel is the president’s exclusive right.” He added, “(The medical community) doesn’t know what they are being asked to apologize for when they haven’t even come up with a plan.”
However, since it will be difficult to have a proper discussion if the medical community is excluded from the consultative body, there is also an atmosphere of trying not to provoke the medical community as much as possible. An official from the presidential office said on this day, “Please come to the table for discussion. Let’s talk there.” Regarding the quota for the 2026 school year and beyond, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said, “If the medical community does not continue to express their opinions, re-discussion is not possible.”
People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, who proposed the ruling and opposition party consultative body, is known to be continuing behind-the-scenes contacts with the medical community, aiming for the first meeting of the consultative body before Chuseok. He is planning to directly persuade them, such as by pushing for meetings with medical groups. A party leadership official said, “Representative Han is actively communicating with the medical community, saying, ‘We must avoid a medical crisis,’ and is also considering visiting medical groups.” Representative Han’s side is expecting, “When the application for the early admissions begins on the 9th, the medical community will also change.”
The ruling and opposition parties began practical discussions on the formation of a consultative body on this day. It has been reported that People Power Party Policy Committee Chairman Kim Sang-hoon and Democratic Party Policy Committee Chairman Jin Seong-jun discussed in a phone call that day a plan to have three to four members from each party, mainly from the National Assembly Education Committee and Health and Welfare Committee, participate in the consultative body. The ruling and opposition parties plan to make a final decision on the method of forming the consultative body through a meeting between National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik and the floor leaders of both parties on the 9th.
Reporter Hwang Hyeong-jun [email protected]
Reporter Park Seong-min [email protected]
Reporter Kodo Yea [email protected]
Reporter Choi Hye-ryeong [email protected]
2024-09-08 21:19:51