[Summary] Moon's 'Divisive' Controversy Sparks Ruling and Opposition Parties' Debate… Ruling Party: "Distortion of Gratitude Expression" vs Opposition: "Becoming a Third-Rate President?"

President Moon Jae-in's 'Nurse Encouragement Message' Controversy Heats Up
Democratic Party: "Do Not Distort the Consolation Message"
People Power Party: "Why Encourage During Doctors' Strike? Intent to Divide"

President Moon Jae-in presiding over the senior secretaries and aides meeting at the Blue House on the 31st of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Yeon-ju] President Moon Jae-in has sparked controversy over 'dividing sides' by posting a message encouraging nurses amid the doctors' collective strike and work stoppage, leading to a heated exchange between ruling and opposition parties.

Earlier, on the 2nd, President Moon posted on Facebook, saying, "I extend my deep gratitude and respect for the dedication and hard work of the nurses who are protecting medical sites abandoned by doctors," adding, "It must be very difficult and challenging as they have to bear the burden of doctors who have been on strike for a long time."

He continued, "As the medical service gap increases patient inconvenience, they also have to endure criticism and verbal abuse," and added, "During the recent heatwave, news that medical staff who could not take off their protective suits at outdoor screening clinics were collapsing touched the hearts of the people. Although they were referred to as medical staff, the public knows well that most of them were nurses."

In response, the opposition criticized the message as an attempt to encourage nurses to criticize doctors who are continuing their collective strike in opposition to the government's medical policies such as expanding medical school quotas. They accused President Moon of 'dividing sides' among medical personnel.

Professor Kim, chairman of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district in Seoul, wrote on Facebook on the 3rd, "The pretext is to encourage nurses, but in reality, it is detestable because it sows discord between striking doctors and nurses on the front lines," emphasizing, "The tens of thousands of comments on the president's Facebook post prove that it is not encouragement but dividing sides."

Professor Kim pointed out, "If the president's encouragement of nurses was sincere, he should have expressed gratitude long ago, either before the doctors' strike or after it ended," adding, "Given that the president has repeatedly strongly condemned the doctors' strike as 'desertion from the battlefield during wartime,' encouraging nurses clearly divides sides, making doctors look bad and nurses look excellent."

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung also strongly criticized on Facebook that day, saying, "President Moon, who chose to sow discord between doctors and nurses instead of unity during the COVID-19 period, do you want to become a third-rate president?"

Another lawmaker from the same party also said, "The president's message dividing doctors and nurses shocked many citizens," adding, "The unfamiliar word 'dividing sides' has become the most common buzzword under this government."

President Moon Jae-in expressed his gratitude to nurses on the front lines of the novel coronavirus disease through Facebook on the 2nd. Photo by President Moon Jae-in Facebook post capture

On the other hand, the ruling party defended President Moon, saying that the message encouraging nurses on the front lines during the COVID-19 crisis was distorted as 'dividing sides.'

Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung wrote on her Facebook on the 3rd, "There is a commotion calling the president's message of thanks to nurses 'dividing sides.' I was surprised to see it could be viewed that way," and asked, "Why has our society become so extreme?"

She added, "Is it really so difficult to simply appreciate someone's dedication and accept that gratitude at face value?"

Lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo also criticized in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strong Current,' saying, "Due to the baseless doctors' strike, the workload of nurses on the front lines has increased, and the message was sent to comfort that reality," adding, "It is inappropriate to describe it as dividing sides or condemning the doctors' group."

Fellow party member lawmaker Jung Chung-rae said, "What fault does the president have for comforting and encouraging the nurses working hard on the front lines of quarantine?" and sharply added, "If you don't understand, just stay quiet."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party and the Korean Medical Association (KMA) announced on the 4th that they reached an agreement after overnight negotiations regarding the expansion of public healthcare policy. Accordingly, the medical community plans to end the collective strike, which has lasted about half a month since the 21st of last month, and return to the field immediately after the agreement is announced at 9:30 a.m. that day.

Han Jeong-ae, chair of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, and Choi Dae-jib, president of the KMA, who led the negotiations, held a signing ceremony at the central party office in Yeouido that morning. The agreement reportedly includes forming a permanent consultative body with the medical community and discussing support measures for medical issues such as residents.

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