President Yoon Suk-yeol on April 2 expressed his intention to meet with resident doctors who have left their hospitals in protest against the government’s policy to increase the number of doctors. The emergency committee of the Medical Professors Association of Korea (MPAK) also publicly proposed to Park Dan, head of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), to “meet with President Yoon without any conditions.” Park is expected to visit the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, as early as April 3. As the medical field marks the seventh week of the resident doctors’ departure, anticipation grows over whether a breakthrough can be reached to resolve the healthcare policy conflict.
The presidential office announced through a press release, “President Yoon is eager to meet and directly hear from the doctors, who are the direct participants in the collective action, although there are many medical organizations,” and added, “The presidential office is always open to the public.” In relation, a senior official from the presidential office said, “Through communication with the KIRA, we have confirmed their willingness to meet and have a dialogue with the President.” The official added, “In a situation where public inconvenience is worsening, the President wishes to meet the resident doctors as soon as possible. If the participants for the meeting are coordinated with the KIRA, they could meet as soon as April 3.”
If the meeting proceeds, the presidential office intends to discuss a wide array of medical reform issues. These efforts will aim at revising the controversial proposal to increase the number of doctors by 2000 annually for the next five years, improving the working conditions for resident doctors, enhancing support for regional and essential healthcare, and reducing legal risks for doctors. In his April 1 address to the nation, President Yoon called on resident doctors to “return to the medical field,” indicating his readiness to discuss adjustments to the plan for increasing the number of doctors.
The presidential office’s statement came after the emergency committee of the MPAK publicly urged the KIRA to meet with President Yoon. At a briefing on the same day, Cho Yun-jung, an official from the Medical Professors Association, addressed Park, saying, “If President Yoon invites [you], meet him without any conditions.” She added, “Just recognizing the President’s passion and sincerity is enough to start a dialogue.” To President Yoon, Cho said, “Please understand the bitterness and tears in the hearts of these young people.”
