Vice President of the Nurses Association: "Is the Nursing Act a Legislative Autocracy?... Malicious Agitation"

Tak Young-ran, 1st Vice President of the Korean Nurses Association
KBS Interview "Nursing Act Enactment, a Promise to the People"

Tak Young-ran, the 1st Vice President of the Korean Nurses Association, criticized the ruling party and government for labeling the Nursing Act bill as a "legislative dictatorship law," "medical system collapse law," and "new caste system," calling it "a very narrow-minded and malicious agitation that is completely different from the purpose, expectations, and aspirations of the Nursing Act."

In an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 22nd, Vice President Tak said, "Nurses have never once risked patients' lives in the 120 years of history. Our professional calling is to always work 24 hours by the side of patients, on the side of the people, for life and safety."

On the 12th, International Nurses Day 2023, nurses attending the commemorative celebration held on Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, raised placards and shouted slogans urging the enactment of the Nursing Act. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Regarding the claim that the Nursing Act is a legislative dictatorship, Vice President Tak rebutted, "Two members of the People Power Party also proposed the Nursing Act, with 46 participants. Both ruling and opposition parties proposed it, public hearings were held, and the bill was reviewed five times, going through all the proper legal procedures. The claim of legislative dictatorship objectively does not fit at all."

On the claim that the medical system would collapse, she said, "The Nursing Act was enacted in the United States 100 years ago, and Japan enacted it 75 years ago. Also, more than 90 countries worldwide have a Nursing Act system, and in none of those countries has the medical system collapsed. I do not know on what basis they are making such claims."

Regarding the criticism that it is a new caste system restricting the educational background of nursing assistants, she stated, "The Medical Service Act specifies the national exam eligibility for nursing assistants, and this was simply carried over into the Nursing Act; it is not newly established. The Ministry of Health and Welfare legislated the eligibility for nursing assistant exams, so since we did not newly establish it, such claims are clearly false."

In response to the ruling party's claim that President Yoon Suk-yeol never included the Nursing Act in his campaign pledges, she emphasized, "During the presidential candidate period, he visited our association and promised that the government would play a role in improving nurses' work and that if he took office, he would improve nurses' treatment. Yet, to say that there was no pledge or promise is an incomprehensible part."

She added, "The promise regarding the Nursing Act is not a promise to us but a promise to guarantee the health rights of the people."

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