Prime Minister's Office Effectively 'Rejects' Medical Association's "Let's Meet" Letter... "Contact Ministry of Health and Welfare"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The Prime Minister's Office has effectively declined the Korean Medical Association's (KMA) request for direct negotiations regarding the expansion of medical school quotas.
On the 6th, the Prime Minister's Office sent an official letter to the KMA stating, "Health and medical issues should be resolved through dialogue and communication between the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the competent authority, and the KMA, a stakeholder organization." It added, "We understand that the Ministry of Health and Welfare is making its best efforts to engage in dialogue with the KMA," and "We hope that the Ministry and the KMA will soon form a consultative body to conduct in-depth discussions on health and medical issues." This effectively formalized the refusal to negotiate directly.
This response came after the KMA rejected a meeting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare the previous day and requested in an official letter to the Prime Minister's Office, "Since in-depth dialogue based on trust with the Ministry is impossible, we ask the Prime Minister's Office, representing the government, to engage in direct negotiations." The KMA abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting with the Ministry to coordinate issues such as the expansion of medical school quotas and instead demanded direct talks with the Prime Minister's Office.
Hot Picks Today
"Could I Also Receive 370 Billion Won?"... No Limit on 'Stock Manipulation Whistleblower Rewards' Starting the 26th
- Samsung Electronics Labor-Management Reach Agreement, General Strike Postponed... "Deficit-Business Unit Allocation Deferred for One Year"
- "From a 70 Million Won Loss to a 350 Million Won Profit with Samsung and SK hynix"... 'Stock Jackpot' Grandfather Gains Attention
- [New York Stock Exchange] Major Indexes Close Up Over 1% as Treasury Yields and Oil Prices Fall
- "Who Is Visiting Japan These Days?" The Once-Crowded Tourist Spots Empty Out... What's Happening?
The Korean Intern Resident Association, composed of residents, announced that it would go on strike on the 7th, including essential personnel in intensive care units, maternity wards, surgeries, dialysis rooms, and emergency rooms, arguing that the government's plan to expand medical school quotas would further distort the healthcare system. Separately, the KMA, mainly composed of private practitioners, also announced a general strike scheduled for the 14th of this month.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
