"Doctors Doubt President Moon's Words... Medical Community Reacts Against Divisive Remarks"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "I couldn't believe my eyes, wondering if the President's Facebook was hacked."

A professor at a university hospital in Seoul said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 3rd that regarding President Moon Jae-in's Facebook post the previous day, in which he said, "I comfort the nurses who are protecting the medical sites abandoned by residents and other doctors, and express my gratitude and respect for their dedication and hard work," he made this comment.

He raised his voice, saying, "I had hoped that the conflict between the government and the medical community could be resolved as the ruling party's policy committee chairman stated he would review the matter with an open mind even to formalizing it, but after seeing President Moon's post, I couldn't believe my eyes."

President Moon indirectly criticized the doctors who are effectively on a collective strike, saying, "It must be difficult to fight a long battle against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and on top of that, having to bear the burden of doctors on a long-term strike is an extremely challenging situation." In response, the medical community pointed out that the President was dividing the 'one team' of doctors and nurses.

A professor at a university hospital in the metropolitan area said about President Moon's remarks, "I feel very uncomfortable." He pointed out, "Doctors and nurses are like partners," and "It is not good to create divisions among colleagues who work cooperatively."

The Young Nurses Association also released a statement the previous day, rebutting, "The poor working conditions did not suddenly arise due to the doctors' collective actions."

Concerns were also raised that President Moon's message could become an obstacle to negotiations between the government and the medical community. Masang-hyuk, Public Medical Countermeasures Committee Chairman of the Gyeongnam Medical Association, said in a media interview, "Seeing the President's division makes it even harder to trust the government's willingness to negotiate."

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