Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
President Yoon to focus on mending relations with ruling party over medical reform issue
President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the ruling People Power Party, after arriving at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, following his trip to the Czech Republic. Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
President Yoon Suk Yeol is widely expected to focus on mending relations with the ruling party over medical reforms as he returned home, Sunday, from his trip to the Czech Republic, according to political watchers, Monday. He had made the trip to boost economic ties with the European nation via a nuclear energy partnership.
Yoon desperately needs to regain pubic trust for his government’s key policies including his medical reform plan that rolled out in late February and led to strikes by trainee doctors, causing substantial disruptions to essential services at major hospitals such as emergency care. According to a survey by Realmeter released on Monday, Yoon’s approval rating stood at 30.3 percent.
Yoon will hold a dinner meetingon Tuesday with ruling People Power Party (PPP) chief Han Dong-hoon and other PPP leaders, including its floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho and Supreme Council members, to discuss the government’s medical reform plans.
Political analysts said the dinner and how Han seeks to repair his relationship with Yoon will shape the fortunes of both the president and the party. The two remain divided over the medical school quota issue. Han has been insisting that a consultative body — comprising major parties, the government and doctors’ groups — could discuss the medical school quota increase for 2025.
The government, however, argues it cannot retract its plan for next year because universities have already begun accepting admissions for medical schools, and to do so now would likely trigger a massive backlash from students and parents. Instead, it said it is open to discussion regarding the size of the quota for 2026, but only if doctors can provide a reasonable basis for the number they come up with.
The dinner meeting had originally been planned for Aug. 30 but was postponed by the presidential office after Han proposed deferring the medical school quota hike for 2026 to help break the impasse between the government and groups representing doctors.
“Since the government is determined to increase its medical school quota for 2025, Han needs to suggest an alternative plan on how to resolve the standoff between the government and doctors. If he tries to represent the doctors, his relationship with Yoon will deteriorate further,” said Park Sang-byeong, a political commentator.
Eom Gyeong-yeong, director of political think tank the Zeitgeist Institute, said the government and the ruling party are playing a political game of chicken.
“I doubt that Tuesday’s dinner meeting will have any fruitful results. No one is quite sure what the next step will be amid lingering deadlock over the medical reform. However, Yoon and Han could discuss decreasing the size of enrollment for 2026 or dismissing the health minister on the condition of doctors accepting the government’s proposals,” Eom said.
A medical worker walks toward an emergency room at a general hospital in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Han had been considered one of Yoon's closest confidants during their time as prosecutors, but their relationship has soured due mostly to differences over how to handle medical reform plans and controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Han requested a private, one-on-one meeting with Yoon, but the presidential office refused to give a direct answer.
“The fact that Han requested a private meeting with Yoon suggests that he may have found a compromise to deal with doctors’ groups. The two need to mend the political rift for the sake of the PPP,” Park said.
Eom said, “If held, their private meeting could alleviate some concerns about the recent conflict between Yoon and Han and the deterioration of party-government relations. Yoon is also under pressure as the opposition continues pushing to pass a bill targeting first lady. Of course, Yoon is likely to veto the bill mandating a special counsel to investigate Kim.”