South Korea's Health Ministry Optimistic About Medical Reform Discussions

Seoul, Jan 9 (NationPress) The health ministry of South Korea conveyed its optimism on Thursday about starting discussions with the newly elected president of the country’s leading doctors' association, following a lengthy standstill over medical reform.

Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo made this statement during a government meeting, coming after Kim Taek-woo was chosen as the new leader of the Korean Medical Association the day before, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Kim, known for his firm opposition to raising the medical school quota, stated, "We aspire to conduct direct talks to swiftly resolve the discord between the government and the medical sector," Park mentioned.

"The public desires the normalization of our nation’s healthcare system, and I believe there is a shared understanding between the government and the medical community," Park continued.

In contrast, Kim highlighted the necessity for the government to actively alter its approach.

"The president who advocated for this policy is currently unavailable, and it has come to light that the plan for medical reform was flawed," Kim remarked following his election. "The government must cease its stubbornness and terminate this policy."

Since February of last year, numerous trainee doctors have been absent from their duties due to widespread resignations, with the medical sector calling on the government to reassess the proposed increase in medical school quotas from the beginning.

Despite these challenging conditions, local emergency rooms have been functioning without significant interruptions.

The government has resolved to augment the number of medical school seats by 1,500 for the year 2025, which is part of a larger initiative to raise the total by about 2,000 over the next five years to alleviate a shortage of doctors.