Nursing Community Stirred by Yoon's Veto Move on Nursing Act

Nursing Community Collective Backlash "Anger and Betrayal"

As President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to exercise his right to request reconsideration (veto) on the Nursing Act bill, the nursing community, which has been urging the enactment of the law, is in turmoil.

The nursing community lamented, saying, "The anger and sense of betrayal are immense," in response to the ruling party and government defining the Nursing Act bill as a "legislative dictatorship holding the lives of the people hostage."

On the 14th, the People Power Party and the government decided to officially recommend that President Yoon exercise his veto on the Nursing Act bill. President Yoon is highly likely to accept this at the Cabinet meeting on the 16th, which would mark the second veto exercise following the amendment to the Grain Management Act.

Nurses belonging to the Korean Nurses Association and the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union held a rally in front of Dongwha Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 12th to mark the 51st International Nurses Day, urging the enactment of the Nursing Act. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Kang Min-guk, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a briefing after the high-level party-government meeting that day, "The party and government agreed that the Nursing Act is a legislative dictatorship holding the lives of the people hostage, and the damage will be borne entirely by the people." Kim Dae-gi, Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, also said regarding the Nursing Act, "It is undesirable for only one party's interests to be reflected."

The Nursing Act bill, passed by the opposition-led National Assembly plenary session on the 27th of last month, separates the regulations on nurses' duties from the current Medical Service Act and includes provisions on nurses' qualifications and improved treatment. In this regard, other professions such as doctors and nursing assistants have opposed the bill, raising concerns about the possibility of nurses opening independent clinics and encroaching on doctors' scope of practice.

The Democratic Party strongly criticized the party-government's decision to recommend the veto to President Yoon as a 'shameless act.'' The party's Policy Committee issued a statement saying, "Repeatedly exercising the veto is a continued outrage rejecting the will of the people."

If President Yoon exercises the veto, opposition from the nursing community is also expected. However, they have stated that they will observe the situation until the veto decision is definitively made. Kim Won-il, a policy advisor to the Korean Nurses Association, said in an MBC radio interview that he "does not accept the exercise of the veto as a foregone conclusion."

Referring to President Yoon's statement during his presidential campaign that "I will ensure that the Korean Nurses Association's long-standing wish is fulfilled," Kim emphasized, "Who wouldn't know that it was the Nursing Act? It is true that President Yoon promised the enactment of the Nursing Act."

Regarding the possibility of the Nursing Act failing, Kim said, "Since our country is experiencing a shortage of doctors and all doctors' duties are being transferred to other professions, I believe that along with supplementary legislation for other medical technicians and amendments to other laws to resolve uncertainties in duties, the Nursing Act should be re-promoted."

Meanwhile, if President Yoon exercises the veto, the Nursing Act must go through a re-vote in the National Assembly. It will pass if a majority of the total members are present and two-thirds or more of the members present vote in favor. If passed, it will be immediately confirmed as law; if rejected, it will be discarded.

However, since the opposition parties do not hold the required number of seats (180 seats) for passage, it is highly likely to be rejected. Previously, the amendment to the Grain Management Act, on which President Yoon exercised his veto, was also rejected during the National Assembly's re-vote process and proceeded toward repeal.

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