Moon's message of gratitude to nurses sparks controversy

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Park Han-sol

President Moon Jae-in's message of gratitude to nurses for their contributions to the fight against COVID-19 amid a doctors' strike has sparked anger among doctors and even embarrassed nurses, as some see it as creating a division between the two professions.

In a message posted on Facebook, Moon extended his sincere appreciation to nurses for their dedication, pointing out that they must be going through difficult times as “they are faced with shouldering the burden of doctors who have launched a nationwide strike” against a government medical reform plan.

“It was heartbreaking that medical personnel were collapsing because they couldn't take off their protective suits at outdoor COVID-19 testing booths during the heat wave, and people are well aware that most of such staffers were, in fact, nurses,” he wrote.

Doctors' groups and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) denounced the President for creating an unnecessary division between doctors and nurses by implying that the latter were facing mounting difficulties because of the formers' strike.

“Our association was heading toward a positive change during discussions with Rep. Han Jeong-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea. The anger and disappointment we felt were subsiding, but the President's message has worsened our sentiment toward the government,” Seo Yeon-joo, vice president of the Korean Intern Resident Association, said in a radio interview.

Several nursing organizations also expressed embarrassment. “We appreciate you recognize nurses' hard work … but poor working conditions, increased workload and emotional hardship are nothing new and are certainly not the sudden results of doctors' collective action,” the Korea Young Nurses said on Facebook.

Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition PPP (formerly the UFP) called Moon “the President who chose to pit doctors against nurses instead of uniting them in this COVID-19 world.”

“Doctors and nurses are two parts of one team. If hospitals are only occupied by nurses, they must be shut down. There also cannot be a hospital that is only filled with doctors but no nurses. However, in this time of emergency posed by the coronavirus, the President made a post that incites internal conflict between these two parties,” Ha posted on Facebook.

In response, several ruling party lawmakers said that the opposition bloc was trying to find fault with Moon's message that was only aimed at encouraging nurses.