KMA: "Yoon and Residents' Direct Dialogue... Starting Point for Resolving Medical-Government Conflict"

"Park Dan's Remarks Seem Intended to Reveal Differences in Legislative Positions"

Kim Seong-geun, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee for Public Relations of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), evaluated the meeting between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Park Dan, Chairman of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), saying, "The most meaningful aspect is that they were able to directly exchange their opinions."

Chairman Kim appeared on KBS Radio's 'Jeon Jong-cheol's Jeonggyeok Sisa' on the 5th and said, "The meeting between the president and the residents is the starting point for resolving the medical labor dispute."

Park Dan, president of the Korean Intern Resident Association, is attending the emergency committee meeting held at the Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 31st of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Park's statement on his Facebook immediately after meeting President Yoon the previous day, expressing that "there is no future for Korean medical care," Kim said, "On one hand, some interpret it as somewhat disappointing or falling short of expectations. On the other hand, perhaps he felt the need to express the difference in positions. The stance released by the presidential office was very moderate and left much room for future discussions, but the medical community might have presented a different position."

When asked by the host whether a meeting between the KMA executive board and the government is being arranged, Kim replied, "There have been ongoing proposals for dialogue from political circles and the government, though not concrete ones. However, it is necessary to meet with those who can solve the problem. The first button to press was the meeting between the president and the representative of the residents."

Regarding the presidential office showing a flexible stance by agreeing to respect the residents' position and whether any alternatives have been prepared, Kim said, "There are various proposals and figures, but who judges whether these proposals are reasonable? Therefore, what we are saying is that a neutral committee is needed to verify sufficient proposals through various scientific methods."

On the participation of private practitioners in the 40-hour per week legal compliance medical strike, Kim explained, "Many in the private practice community feel they cannot just watch the current situation, so there have been expressions of willingness to participate in some way. The number of participating private practitioners is gradually increasing, and although patients may experience some inconvenience, we have started in a way that does not burden medical care."

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