Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Would Yoon meeting with trainee doctors reach breakthrough in medical walkout?
Patients and nurses are seen at a hospital in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Trainee doctors remain silent on Yoon's calls for talks
President Yoon Suk Yeol's proposed dialogue with trainee doctors would be unlikely to reach a breakthrough in the latter's month-long walkout over the medical school quota issue, even if such a meeting happens.
The junior doctors, who have resigned en masse in protest of the government plan to increase the number of medical students, remain suspicious of Yoon's sincerity about talks, considering his resolute determination expressed in previous speeches.
On Wednesday, the presidential office reaffirmed Yoon's stance announced the previous evening that he wants to discuss the issue with the junior doctors, who are directly engaged in the collective action, and hear what they have to say. The office said it is waiting for the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) to answer Yoon’s invitation. An official said that the talks can take place at any time, about any topics that trainee doctors want.
This came after a spokesperson of the Medical Professors Association of Korea asked KIRA head Park Dan to meet Yoon without any conditions, during an online press briefing on Tuesday. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also said on the day during a TV appearance, “Yoon has a very strong intention for candid talks with them with no limits on subjects.”
President Yoon Suk Yeol walks into the Gongju Medical Center in South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office
Yoon brought up holding a discussion about the 2,000 new slots to be added to the current quota of 3,058 came on Monday during a 51-minute televised address to the nation, urging doctors to propose a unified and rational plan.
While the presidential office stressed his speech was intended to show that the government is open to backing down on the existing plan, the message ended up drawing negative responses from doctors because Yoon devoted most of his speech to rattling off research results on the anticipated shortage of medical doctors in the country and criticizing doctors for the prolonged walkout.
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) said in a press briefing on Wednesday that it welcomed Yoon’s approach to meet junior doctors, but stated that it is “difficult to verify the intention" behind the government’s suggestion for talks, and added that "the most viable way of guaranteeing the sincerity of the talks is suspending the expansion in next year’s medical school quota.”
While various medical associations are voicing their own opinions, KIRA, which holds the key to ending the walkout, has not responded to the government.
Since March 29, KIRA has not been releasing any statements on the issue, with its head Park refusing to respond to media inquiries on Yoon’s invitation.
A person walks past a medical interns' room at a hospital in Daegu, Tuesday. Yonhap
Skepticism is growing that a meeting between Yoon and Park would not likely bring an immediate resolution to the medical standoff.
“It is still confusing whether the government has the intention of stepping back from the 2,000 (added) slots,” a medical professor based in Seoul said on condition of anonymity.
“With Yoon stressing the importance of the 2,000 slots throughout his speech, how could anyone believe that the government will compromise on its plan? To enable talks, the government should start by suspending the current policy. Otherwise, the dialogue, even if it takes place, will end up being used for political grandstanding before the general elections.”
Even if Yoon meets the KIRA head, chances are slim for an immediate rollback in the policy, because the government has already finished distributing the increased slots to medical schools across the country, and universities are now setting up requirements for next year’s admissions, with their deadline set for April 30.
Since any abrupt changes would cause confusion in college admissions and a backlash from students and parents, a presidential official told reporters that any big changes from the 2,000 slots would be difficult, and doctors should consider this when they come up with their unified plan.
Difficulties in unifying doctors are also raising skepticism.
Though the KMA is the biggest doctors’ association, KIRA, the professors' association, the Korean Medical Student Association and other doctors' groups hold slightly different positions on how to counter the government’s push, with doctors saying the KMA does not represent all of them.
A KMA spokesperson told reporters Wednesday that it is communicating with trainee doctors, but was unavailable to share details on the proposed talks, citing that it is a matter between the presidential office and trainee doctors.
Adding to this, many trainee doctors are now refraining from engaging in collective actions after the government threatened to suspend their licenses and take other legal actions in response to their walkout.
“Trainee doctors are now scattered to avoid the government’s threats, and it is hard to say there is an entity that can play a pivotal role for drawing a unified doctors’ proposal,” the Seoul-based professor said.