The Healthcare Catastrophe Has Been Averted

Nojung 11-Hour Marathon Negotiation Ends in Dramatic Agreement

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum (far right) and Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol (second from right) attended the 13th practical labor-government consultation meeting between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health and Medical Workers' Union held at the Healthcare Institution Evaluation and Accreditation Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 1st. After separately holding a meeting with Na Soon-ja, Chairperson of the Health and Medical Workers' Union (far left), they exchanged fist bumps. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The negotiations between the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union and the government were dramatically resolved in the early morning of the 2nd, just five hours before the general strike. With both sides reaching an agreement on key issues such as the expansion of public healthcare and healthcare personnel, the general strike was called off, avoiding the worst-case scenario of a medical vacuum amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol and Health and Medical Labor Union Chairperson Na Soon-ja signed the agreement and announced the negotiation settlement at 2:15 a.m. on the 2nd at the Medical Institution Evaluation and Certification Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Both parties entered the 13th round of labor-government practical negotiations from 3 p.m. the previous day, a day before the strike, and after an 11-hour marathon negotiation, reached an agreement in the early hours of the strike day. Initially, the Health and Medical Labor Union planned to announce the results, including whether to proceed with the strike, around 11 p.m. the previous day, but internal discussions extended, and the announcement was finally made after 2 a.m.

Minister Kwon said, "Both the government and the Health and Medical Labor Union shared the common goal and understanding that we must protect the lives of the people and ensure patient safety, which made it possible to prepare an agreement through dialogue and communication. Since this agreement was reached after 13 rounds of long discussions, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will sincerely consult with related ministries and the National Assembly regarding the agreed matters."

Chairperson Na stated, "During the 1 year and 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers who have sacrificed and devoted themselves to treating and caring for COVID-19 patients have engaged in in-depth discussions on expanding healthcare personnel, improving working conditions, enhancing labor rights, and improving treatment so that they can care for patients in better working environments."

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, who visited the negotiation site the previous day, posted on social media upon hearing the settlement news, "If the strike by frontline healthcare workers had continued amid the ongoing fourth wave, the response to COVID-19 would have become even more difficult. The government will secure the necessary budget and improve systems so that healthcare workers who are devoted to the medical field can receive appropriate treatment and work conditions," he promised.

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