By Do Je-hae
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) called for a National Assembly probe into the government's alleged mishandling of the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
It also urged President Park Geun-hye to apologize to the people for the government's delayed response to the outbreak, and demanded the dismissal of Minister of Health and Welfare Moon Hyung-pyo.
The NPAD underlined the President's apology as a priority.
"Since the MERS outbreak, the President has never expressed any official position," said Rep. Oh Young-shik. "The President must make a sincere apology to the people."
"The government has failed to step up each time the people's security and lives were endangered," said Rep. Choo Mi-ae. "The President must make an apology and dismiss the health minister."
The health minister has faced calls for dismissal, although it is likely that he will be retained for the time being to lead post-MERS affairs within the ministry. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn declared the end of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic, Tuesday.
Health officials have been making a case for organizational change as a way to better deal with similar incidents.
They want to break up the current Ministry of Health and Welfare and launch an independent health ministry. They are trying to install a second vice minister and upgrade the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), now part of the ministry, into an independent agency. Minister Moon supported these plans during a hearing on MERS response at the National Assembly last week.
The NPAD blamed the government's clumsiness for severely hurting the nation's economy and hampering the people's daily lives.
"The MERS epidemic demonstrated how much pain an absence of government's early response can inflict on the people," NPAD Chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in said. "A probe into the government's failures in conducting swift measures must take place so that we can avoid a repetition of similar mistakes. The health authorities are urged to take responsibility for their failures."
"In Korea, 36 people died from MERS, recording the second-highest in the number of people who died from the disease," Rep. Jun Byung-hun said. He argued that the economic loss from the epidemic amounts to 10 trillion won.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) called for a National Assembly probe into the government's alleged mishandling of the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
It also urged President Park Geun-hye to apologize to the people for the government's delayed response to the outbreak, and demanded the dismissal of Minister of Health and Welfare Moon Hyung-pyo.
The NPAD underlined the President's apology as a priority.
"Since the MERS outbreak, the President has never expressed any official position," said Rep. Oh Young-shik. "The President must make a sincere apology to the people."
"The government has failed to step up each time the people's security and lives were endangered," said Rep. Choo Mi-ae. "The President must make an apology and dismiss the health minister."
The health minister has faced calls for dismissal, although it is likely that he will be retained for the time being to lead post-MERS affairs within the ministry. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn declared the end of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemic, Tuesday.
Health officials have been making a case for organizational change as a way to better deal with similar incidents.
They want to break up the current Ministry of Health and Welfare and launch an independent health ministry. They are trying to install a second vice minister and upgrade the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), now part of the ministry, into an independent agency. Minister Moon supported these plans during a hearing on MERS response at the National Assembly last week.
The NPAD blamed the government's clumsiness for severely hurting the nation's economy and hampering the people's daily lives.
"The MERS epidemic demonstrated how much pain an absence of government's early response can inflict on the people," NPAD Chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in said. "A probe into the government's failures in conducting swift measures must take place so that we can avoid a repetition of similar mistakes. The health authorities are urged to take responsibility for their failures."
"In Korea, 36 people died from MERS, recording the second-highest in the number of people who died from the disease," Rep. Jun Byung-hun said. He argued that the economic loss from the epidemic amounts to 10 trillion won.
