President Moon: "Doctors must not forget the Hippocratic Oath... Deeply regrettable"

"Some Churches, the Biggest Source of Anxiety"

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over the senior secretaries and aides meeting at the Blue House on the 31st.

President Moon Jae-in urged doctors to return to their duties, stating, "We must not forget the 'Hippocratic Oath,' which prioritizes the health and life of patients above all else," in relation to the medical community's collective strike on the 31st.

During the senior secretaries and aides meeting held at the Blue House that afternoon, President Moon expressed in his opening remarks, "It is deeply regrettable that the medical community has not ceased their collective refusal to provide medical services during this critical phase." The Hippocratic Oath is a kind of ethical code that contains the foundation of professionalism and medical ethics that healthcare professionals must uphold.

President Moon said, "The government, with the sole determination to prevent any medical vacuum amid the severe COVID-19 situation, has proposed several concession plans, and it seemed that an agreement was reached and the issue resolved," adding, "It is difficult to understand what further conditions doctors require to return to the medical field."

He emphasized, "There has never been a time when doctors were more needed by the people than now," and added, "Because the COVID-19 situation is urgent, we do not have much time, and from the government's standpoint, which must enforce the law to protect the lives and health of the people, there are not many options."

President Moon further stated, "I urge and expect the medical community to make a magnanimous decision to promptly return to work, care for patients, and end the public's anxiety."

Regarding the recent decrease in daily confirmed cases from the 400s to the 200-300 range, President Moon expressed gratitude for the public's cooperation but did not ease vigilance. He specifically pointed out participants of the Gwanghwamun rally and some churches as factors exacerbating concerns.

He said, "The reason we have strengthened social distancing measures despite the significant drop in confirmed cases is that there are still considerable hidden risk factors not reflected in the numbers," and added, "The biggest reason for these hidden risk factors is that many participants of the Gwanghwamun rally and members or contacts of some churches have yet to undergo testing."

President Moon earnestly requested, "Since anonymous testing is allowed upon request, I sincerely ask everyone to cooperate with the rapid testing guidance from the quarantine authorities and to voluntarily get tested if there is any suspicion, so as not to miss the optimal timing for diagnosis and treatment."

Additionally, President Moon mentioned, "The reason the increase in confirmed cases was curbed is thanks to the majority of the people cooperating with the strengthened social distancing measures and refraining from going out and other daily activities," and noted, "Most churches also cooperated by holding non-face-to-face services."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.