Doctor strike seeking an exit... Ruling party's urgent containment 'watershed'

Kim Tae-nyeon, Democratic Party Floor Leader, on the 2nd: "We Will Expedite the Formation of the National Assembly Special Committee"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seo So-jeong and Jeon Jin-young] The government and the medical community, which had been locked in a standoff over medical policies such as expanding medical school quotas and establishing public medical schools, are now unraveling the tangled situation through last-minute mediation by the Democratic Party. While the ruling party is taking an all-out approach, including negotiating with opposition parties to resolve the resident doctors' diagnostic strike, the medical community is also holding talks with resident organizations on the 2nd, marking a turning point in the strike situation.

◆ Medical community: "Government negotiation proposal possibly by today"= On the 2nd, Kim Dae-ha, spokesperson for the Korea Medical Association (KMA), said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "Yesterday, Han Jeong-ae, the Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party, said that policy promotion could be discussed from a zero base, and the medical community interprets this as a positive atmosphere for re-examining from the starting point," adding, "We will consult with affiliated organizations such as the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) today to prepare a government negotiation proposal." Spokesperson Kim added, "Regarding the four major policies including the expansion of medical school quotas, the medical community has consistently insisted on a 're-examination from the starting point,' and since the ruling party has attempted dialogue, the medical community will respond in kind to advance the situation in a constructive direction."

After the meeting with Chair Han, the KIRA emergency committee also hinted at the possibility of negotiations through a statement saying, "We are willing to engage in sincere dialogue at any time." Park Ji-hyun, the emergency committee chair, said, "The National Assembly and government should discuss with doctors, who are the main pillars and experts of health and medical policy, with sincerity," adding, "Young doctors are ready to engage in honest dialogue and resolve conflicts promptly at any time." KIRA, which formed an emergency committee for young doctors together with the Korean Medical School and Graduate Medical School Student Association (KMSA) the day before, expressed its intention to participate in the discussion forum prepared by the government and the National Assembly, indicating that the overall atmosphere in the medical community is rapidly shifting from 'strike' to 'dialogue.'

◆ Ruling party's urgent intervention to prevent medical vacuum= The doctors' strike, which had been worsening with collective resignations of residents and fellows, is showing signs of resolution through the ruling party's urgent intervention. On the 2nd, Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party, announced that he would expedite the formation of a special committee at the National Assembly as a countermeasure against the medical community's collective strike. At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Kim said, "We will quickly discuss with the opposition party to expedite the formation of a National Assembly special committee, which is a consultative body for expanding public healthcare." He emphasized, "In the special committee, we will listen to and discuss various improvement measures requested by the medical community and create good policies for medical development."

With political circles joining efforts to find a solution to the doctors' strike, a medical-government agreement is expected to be reached soon. In particular, the practical exam reapplication for the national medical licensing exam, which had been postponed by a week, is approaching on the 4th, and swift agreement is required to minimize the damage to medical students. Lee Yoon-sung, director of the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute, which administers the national exam, said, "If examinees reapply for the exam by 6 p.m. on the 4th, they will be able to take the exam."

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