"Survived but..." Growing Backlash Against Medical Association President... Medical Policy Council Faces Rough Road Ahead

Choedaejip, Korean Medical Association President, Impeachment Motion Rejected but More Votes in Favor
"Government Confrontation Strategy Was Wrong"... Internal Unity Seems Difficult
Medical Students' National Exam Retake Opportunity Also Practically Impossible

On the afternoon of the 27th, at the Swiss Grand Hotel in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where the Korean Medical Association's temporary general assembly was held, a doctor is holding a placard calling for the impeachment of Chairman Choi Dae-jip.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Although the impeachment motion against Choi Dae-jip, president of the Korean Medical Association, was rejected, it is expected to be difficult for the medical community to unite around President Choi and continue negotiations with the government. The situation calls for a re-discussion of health and medical policies from scratch, which had been the source of conflict. There is considerable public opposition to President Choi, and resolving complicated issues such as the national medical licensing exam for medical students is also a challenging task.

At the Korean Medical Association’s extraordinary general meeting held on the 27th, the vote on the no-confidence motion against President Choi showed that 114 votes were in favor of his resignation, significantly more than the 85 votes against. For the no-confidence motion to pass, at least two-thirds of the total members must attend and two-thirds of those present must vote in favor. If only 22 more had voted in favor, President Choi would have had to step down.

President Choi had set the abolition of the "Four Evils" medical policies as a key strategy for government confrontation, but many delegates judged that this strategy had not produced significant results. The "Four Evils" referred to by President Choi are the increase in medical school quotas, establishment of public medical schools, coverage of herbal medicine under insurance, and promotion of non-face-to-face medical services. Since July, he declared a total strike by the medical community, but the strike preparations were inadequate, and subsequent hasty agreements during the resolution process sparked considerable dissatisfaction within the medical community.

Choi Dae-jip, President of the Korean Medical Association, is greeting after finishing his speech at the Korean Medical Association Delegate Assembly temporary general meeting held on the 27th at the Swiss Grand Hotel in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

Public Opinion Worsened Compared to Last Year’s Year-End Impeachment Vote
"Will Resolve Medical Students’ National Exam Retake Issue Wisely"
Declared but Government Maintains Stance Against Retake

President Choi was also subject to a no-confidence vote at the end of last year, but at that time, more votes opposed his resignation (122 votes) than supported it (82 votes). It is rare for an impeachment motion to be raised again within 10 months, and public opinion has worsened since then. Although some believed that support should be given to him for upcoming negotiations with the government, the vote results revealed stronger resentment toward President Choi, who is seen as responsible for the current situation, despite having less than six months left in his term.

The issue of medical students retaking the national licensing exam, which President Choi faces as his first challenge, is currently considered practically impossible. Regarding the resumption of the exam, President Choi said on the day, "We will resolve it wisely," and expressed willingness to give another chance to students willing to take the exam, but he did not present a clear solution. The government has also clearly stated that it is difficult due to negative public opinion and fairness with other exams.

The pilot project for insurance coverage of herbal medicine, which faces strong opposition within the medical community, is scheduled to be implemented as early as next month or by November at the latest. Although the medical community and the government agreed in principle to "reconsider," the pilot project was decided by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee, which includes representatives from the government and various sectors, so the Ministry of Health and Welfare officials said it must proceed as planned.

Some policies, such as expanding medical school quotas and establishing public medical schools, will be discussed after the COVID-19 situation stabilizes. These issues are recognized as necessary by many citizens, and some opposition parties share views similar to the government, making it difficult for the Korean Medical Association, representing the medical community, to oppose them outright.

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