From the Grain Management Act to the Nursing Act... Yoon May Exercise Veto Again

On the afternoon of the 13th, as the National Assembly is scheduled to process the Nursing Act bill directly submitted by the Democratic Party of Korea in the plenary session, the Presidential Office is expected to once again weigh the exercise of the veto power following the amendment to the Grain Management Act. Since the Nursing Association and other medical organizations, which require collaboration, are strongly opposed to the original Nursing Act bill, the intention is that the National Assembly should discuss more carefully and find a compromise. However, repeated vetoes by President Yoon Seok-yeol could pose a burden on state governance, so a cautious response is expected.

A Presidential Office official said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 13th regarding the Presidential Office’s stance on the Nursing Act bill, "The medical community is structured to require collaboration among various professions," adding, "If the medical community continues to conflict over the enactment of the Nursing Act, it will not benefit the public."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

원본보기 아이콘

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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The Nursing Act, which the Democratic Party of Korea announced would be processed in the plenary session of the National Assembly on the same day, separates the regulations on nurses’ duties from the current Medical Service Act into a separate law, covering matters such as nurse licensing and qualifications, scope of work, and improvement of treatment. The Health and Welfare Medical Solidarity, which includes the Korea Medical Association, is concerned that the scope of nurses’ duties defined in the Nursing Act is broadly extended not only to medical institutions but also to local communities, raising worries about the possibility of nurses establishing hospitals and the side effects of encroaching on other work areas. On the other hand, the Nursing Association and others argue that the law clearly states that nurses assist medical care under doctors’ supervision, calling such concerns excessive speculation, and they oppose the bill, saying it is necessary to meet the increasing nursing demand due to the aging population.

The People Power Party and the government recently proposed a mediation plan through a high-level party-government council to change the Nursing Act into a law concerning nurses’ treatment and to regulate the scope of nurses’ duties under the current Medical Service Act, presenting it on the 11th. However, the opposition party has set a policy to push the bill through. While the Health and Welfare Medical Solidarity is willing to accept the mediation plan, the Nursing Association insists that the original bill must be passed as is. Kim Sung-joo, senior deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party’s supreme council meeting that day, “The passage of the Nursing Act today is the top issue that must be resolved in the National Assembly,” adding, “The People Power Party must abandon its current stance for peaceful cooperation in the medical field to be realized.”

The Presidential Office is concerned that if the original Nursing Act is passed, conflicts within the medical community will arise, and holds the position that the National Assembly should reconsider based on the government and ruling party’s mediation plan. The official said, "The enactment of the Nursing Act is different from the situation with the amendment to the Grain Management Act, which many farmers’ organizations opposed due to anticipated adverse effects. Since multiple stakeholders are involved and it is directly related to medical welfare, the government’s position cannot be simply divided into 'support' or 'oppose.'"

However, some speculate that President Yoon will have to be cautious about exercising the veto power. There is justification for improving nurses’ treatment and the need for care services due to the expanding elderly population, and President Yoon also expressed sympathy for these issues during his presidential campaign. Especially since President Yoon has already exercised a veto once on the Grain Management Act, repeated vetoes could inevitably burden cooperation with the opposition party and the execution of state governance. Another senior Presidential Office official avoided direct comments on whether a veto would be exercised, saying, "It is not the time to talk about it yet," and "If the Nursing Act passes in the National Assembly, we will consider it then."

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