Rival parties to urge medical community to join consultative body to seek breakthrough

All News 14:48 September 09, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) agreed Monday to call on the medical community to join in forming a four-way consultative body to seek a breakthrough in the prolonged strikes by junior doctors.

PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho and his DP counterpart, Park Chan-dae, told reporters at the National Assembly that they agreed to make joint efforts to bring the medical circle back to dialogue after their meeting with Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.

"The most important issue is whether the medical community will participate," Choo said. "(The speaker and the opposition) have asked that the government and the ruling party actively engage in dialogue to convince the medical community to participate."

The government has already reached out to the medical community in various ways, Choo said.

Park stressed the need for a "genuine and compelling offer" from the government's side to bring the medical community to the negotiating table.

On Friday, the PPP proposed launching the four-way body, stressing that both the ruling party and the government are willing to discuss the medical reform issue from scratch.

The series of developments raises hopes for a breakthrough in the prolonged walkout by thousands of junior doctors protesting the government's decision in February to increase the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 from the previous 3,058 and keep the increased quota over the next five years.

On Sunday, the Korean Medical Association, a major doctors' lobby group, demanded the government cancel its plan to raise the quota for 2025 and 2026 and discuss a possible adjustment for 2027 or afterward.