PPP floor leader urges doctors to return to dialogue amid prolonged walkout

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- The floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) urged the medical community to return to dialogue Friday, stressing that both the PPP and the government are willing to discuss the health care reform issue from the ground up.

Choo Kyung-ho made the appeal during a party meeting at the National Assembly, urging doctors to return to negotiations with the government to come up with a "reasonable" agreement on increasing the medical school admissions quota.

"It is the government and the PPP's position that we are open to discussing the health reform issue, including the expansion of medical school seats for 2026," Choo said.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon also proposed establishing a joint consultative body among the rival parties, the government and the medical community to address the ongoing shortage of medical services and to improve the regional and essential health care systems.

"The prolonged disruption in medical services due to the issue of increasing the medical school admissions quota has caused great inconvenience to the public and raised concerns over emergency medical services," he said at a briefing at the National Council of Churches in Korea ahead of his meeting with religious leaders.

As part of the medical system reform, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has vowed to increase the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 seats per year over the next five years or so to address a shortage of doctors. A hike of around 1,500 students has already been confirmed for next year.

Doctors claim that medical schools are not equipped to handle the increased enrollment, which will compromise the quality of medical education and ultimately the country's medical services.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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