Lee Joo-ho: “If you hold out for 6 months, you’ll win.”
“Do you see doctors as enemies?” Opposition arises
Han “Situation is serious, we need to knock on the stone bridge more”
Presidential Office Dissatisfied “Due to Korea’s Provocative Action”
At the People Power Party dinner held on the 29th, pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) lawmakers expressed concerns about the government’s response to the issue of legislative conflict. Rep. Yoon Han-hong, a key member of the pro-Yoon faction, said, “It is true that there is anxiety on the ground,” and Rep. Kwon Seong-dong asked the presidential office and government officials, “Do you have a plan to bring back the residents who are fighting to the death?” Earlier that day, President Yoon Seok-yeol had stated, “The emergency medical system is operating smoothly,” but as rumors of a Chuseok emergency medical gap grow, even pro-Yoon lawmakers expressed concerns.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, and Senior Presidential Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon reported on “medical reform” to ruling party lawmakers at a dinner party. According to multiple ruling party sources on the 30th, a day later, during a closed-door discussion, Rep. Yoon said regarding the emergency medical situation, “It is true that reform is very difficult,” but “When I receive the report, it seems like there are no problems, but the medical field is having a hard time.” Rep. Kwon also reportedly said, “As a district lawmaker, I recognize that there is a shortage of local doctors,” and asked, “Politics is reality. How are you going to overcome this?” A three-term lawmaker said in a phone call, “After listening to the explanations from the minister and the chief, it seemed that there was no plan to bring back residents and medical students.”
The deputy prime minister was criticized for responding, “If we just hold out for six months, we will win. So let’s join forces and win.” A first-term lawmaker reported, “There was a backlash saying, ‘What if we treat doctors as enemies?’” and “After being scolded, the deputy prime minister apologized, saying, ‘I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant by that expression. ’”
Representative Han Dong-hoon continued to demand alternatives, saying, “My judgment is that this is a serious situation,” and “The health and lives of the people are absolute values, so we need to take extra precautions when implementing policies.” An official from the presidential office said, “The current situation is not a conflict between the ruling and opposition parties, but is a result of Representative Han’s impulsive behavior,” and “The presidential office has open communication channels, but Representative Han only says that his opinions must be accepted 100%.”
Yoon also complained, “Public anxiety over medical vacuum” and “Didn’t you anticipate resistance from the medical community?”
At the seminar, the government’s response was criticized regardless of faction.
Chin-sun: “The problem is the insistence on increasing the number of troops by 2,000”
Office of the President: “We will not back down from reinforcements”
Kwon Seong-dong criticizes Han Dong-hoon, saying, “The ruling and opposition parties should not be separate.”
“Local council members always meet with local residents. They unanimously emphasize that the public sentiment is ‘uneasy. We need to find a solution quickly.’”
Regarding the fact that even pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) lawmakers are expressing concerns about the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s response to legislative conflicts, a prominent People Power Party lawmaker from the Yeongnam region said this in a phone call with the Dong-A Ilbo on the 30th. He said that especially with the Chuseok holiday approaching, anxiety is spreading about “whether people will be able to receive treatment in time if they get into an emergency.” A pro-Yoon lawmaker also said, “Chuseok is just around the corner, so we need to put out some kind of message to reassure the residents.” The day before, President Yoon dismissed the theory of a Chuseok emergency medical gap crisis as “the argument of those who stubbornly refuse to increase the number of medical schools,” but this means that the public’s reaction is different.
● Lawmakers: “Didn’t you expect resistance?” “We need to prepare for the worst”
At the People Power Party dinner held the day before, a closed-door discussion on the government’s “medical reform” took place. At the meeting, about 10 lawmakers, including pro-Yoon key lawmakers Kwon Seong-dong and Yoon Han-hong, questioned the “prolonged medical gap” and “the issue of residents returning.” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong, and Senior Presidential Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon made presentations for about an hour, but the closed-door discussion continued for another hour and 10 minutes. A three-term lawmaker who was present at the time said in a phone call, “The government kept pushing the issue forward, talking about ‘victory’,” and “I wondered if they were going to start a ‘national campaign to insult doctors. ’”
The day before, Rep. Kwon said something along the lines of, “Is there a solution to the blockade operation by medical residents?” and Rep. Yoon reportedly said, “If the medical reform is successful, we will go down in history, but please pay attention to the method and procedure.” Rep. Cho Bae-sook, a 4-term pro-Yoon member, pointed out, “The medical community’s resistance to the issue of increasing the number of medical schools is considerable. Did they have a meticulous strategy and preparation in advance? Did they not anticipate this?” First-term Rep. Yoo Young-ha also pointed out, “What will the government do if even one person dies from the emergency room hit-and-run? We need to prepare for the worst.”
The pro-Korean (pro-Han Dong-hoon) faction expressed their discontent with the government more strongly. Rep. Koh Dong-jin said, “The government won in policy, but failed in politics,” and “We need to meet with small groups of doctors and persuade them to understand.” Regardless of the policy intent, he clearly pointed out the government’s mistakes in the process of persuading groups of doctors. Rep. Koh also said, “The problem is the insistence on increasing the number of doctors by 2,000,” and “Open the data.” Rep. Cho Kyung-tae, a six-term lawmaker, said, “Are we at war now? The government’s perspective on medical professionals is wrong,” regarding Deputy Prime Minister Lee’s statement that “we will win if we just hold out for six months.” A key member of the pro-Korean faction also said, “There is unrest regardless of faction.” However, it was reported that there was no direct statement the day before that the government should accept the mediation plan of “suspending the increase in medical school enrollment for the 2026 school year” proposed by Representative Han.
The Office of the President maintained its position that it would not back down from increasing the number of medical school students despite concerns within the ruling party. An official from the Office of the President said in a phone call, “We will persevere and endure while pushing forward with medical reform without wavering,” and “As time goes by, it will be confirmed that it was ultimately a policy for the people.” Another official from the Office of the President emphasized, “The issue of increasing the number of medical school students is a very complex issue, so there will inevitably be various opinions.”
● Pro-Yoon “The ruling and opposition parties cannot be separate”… Han “Public sentiment must be reflected”
However, the pro-Yoon faction expressed concern about the government’s response to the legislative conflict, while also criticizing Representative Han Dong-hoon’s attitude toward the “two-track” approach. In a lecture to fellow lawmakers that day, Rep. Kwon said, “There has never been a single case where the president and the party went separately and successfully re-established power.” He also said, “In reality, the president’s power is stronger,” and “We need to persuade them. Things won’t be solved with just a few words.” A senior lawmaker who requested anonymity also criticized, “Representative Han only does ‘his own politics.’ If he only cares about his own popularity and tries to take all the credit, it will be difficult to get more alternatives from the government.”
On the other hand, Representative Han met with reporters and criticized Rep. Kwon’s remarks, saying, “It is the ruling party leader’s duty to try to reflect public sentiment, especially when there are many different opinions on important issues,” and “That’s why 63% of the people supported me during the convention.” Regarding President Yoon’s absence from the banquet, Representative Han simply said, “I have no feelings at all” when asked if it was an “emotional fight between the ruling and opposition parties.” He also said, “I haven’t heard anything about any plans to meet with President Yoon.”
Reporter Cho Kwon-hyung [email protected]
Reporter Lee Sang-heon [email protected]
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2024-08-30 21:25:47