Yoon "No Retreat"... Medical Reform, Resolute Direct Breakthrough

Special Investigation Team's Tenacious Prosecutor Shows Gambler's Spirit
"No Adjustment to Medical School Expansion of 2,000 Students" Firm Stance
Highlighting Yoon's Background When 'Crisis Was Opportunity'

On the 20th, citizens at the Seoul Station waiting room are watching President Yoon Seok-yeol's opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting regarding the collective action of doctors opposing the increase in medical school admissions. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

President Yoon Suk-yeol is steadfastly pushing forward with medical reform despite the collective resignation of specialists and medical students taking leaves of absence. Amid the intense standoff between the government and the medical community, there is speculation that President Yoon will navigate the crisis by leveraging his competitive spirit as a former special prosecutor. His strong and resolute DNA, which turned crises into opportunities during his time as a prosecutor, is expected to serve as the master key to solving the 'medical reform' challenges that previous administrations could not resolve.

At the cabinet meeting the day before, President Yoon increased pressure by stating that the collective actions of residents are "absolutely unacceptable," strongly implying that acts threatening the lives and safety of the public will be dealt with according to law and principle. The atmosphere in the presidential office regarding the push for medical reform is more resolute than ever. When President Yoon said, "Some claim that increasing the number by 2,000 is excessive and even raise baseless conspiracy theories. However, this number is still far from sufficient. The increase of 2,000 is literally the minimum expansion," it was interpreted as a declaration of his determination not to yield to the medical community's collective actions.

The medical community ultimately expects the government to find a compromise and demands the cancellation of the 2,000 medical school admissions increase, but the atmosphere in the presidential office differs from past administrations. President Yoon dismissed this by saying, "For the past 27 years, the medical school quota has not been increased by even one student," and added, "Despite repeated failures and setbacks over the past 30 years, we have now reached a point where failure itself can no longer be tolerated."

What signals positivity for this medical reform is public opinion. Although the medical community responded with strong measures such as hospital withdrawals, this has instead strengthened President Yoon's resolve and added to public support, becoming nourishment for policy promotion. The atmosphere in the presidential office confirmed on the 21st is also strongly tense, with a feeling that they absolutely cannot lose. There is even a resolve that the medical community's collective backlash "can no longer be tolerated." A senior official from the presidential office stated, "Medical reform is an important national mission for the life and health of the people," and reiterated, "There is no possibility of adjusting the 2,000 increase in medical school admissions."

Regarding the direction of medical reform, the presidential office is leading a response by directing all ministries. One aide said, "If medical reform fails this time as well, we will continue to be dragged along," adding, "Since medical reform was a difficult issue that previous governments could not solve, it could become the greatest achievement of the Yoon administration." It is also said that the unprecedented postponement of the state visits to Germany and Denmark just three days before the scheduled dates was a sudden decision by President Yoon to respond to the medical community and focus on livelihood issues.

Unique Drive... Expectation for Dramatic Results

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 20th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

There is a forecast around the presidential office that President Yoon's unique drive will manifest in medical reform. Since he turned crises into opportunities and achieved dramatic results during his time as a prosecutor, attention is focused on whether he can also push through medical reform, including expanding medical school quotas. In 2013, while serving as the head of the Yeoju branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office during the Park Geun-hye administration, President Yoon exposed investigation pressure on the special investigation team leader related to the National Intelligence Service investigation and was demoted to the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office. However, he was reinstated as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office shortly after former President Moon Jae-in was elected.

In 2019, while serving as Prosecutor General, he faced pressure from the administration due to the investigation into corruption allegations against then Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, but he left the prosecution, ran for president, and was elected. There is also speculation that President Yoon's experience will culminate through this medical reform. In fact, in November 2022, his first year in office, he pressured the Cargo Solidarity of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU), which demanded the abolition of the sunset clause on the safe freight rate system, by stating he would "respond strictly without tolerance to illegal acts," forcing them to back down.

From this perspective, if residents do not return even after the work commencement order, the government's policy to issue compulsory enforcement orders, suspend medical licenses, and file charges is likely to materialize. In July 2000, President Yoon presided over the first trial of Kim Jae-jung, then president of the Korean Medical Association, and Shin Sang-jin, chairman of the Medical Rights Struggle Committee, who were indicted for violating the work commencement order opposing the separation of drug prescribing and dispensing, and secured guilty verdicts. The favorable public opinion toward medical reform and the rising approval ratings ahead of the general election are also driving forces for the push.

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