[Interview] "Ahn Cheol-soo, What Did He Do After Briefly Wearing a Gown for Volunteer Work?"

Democrat Shin Hyun-young, Former Doctor

Volunteer Activities Again as Election Season Approaches
Cannot Accept Comments on Quarantine Failure
Opposition Also Responsible for Growing Distrust and Confusion

Need for Non-Face-to-Face Medical Care Increasing

[Asia Economy Reporters Park Cheol-eung and Jeon Jin-young] "Did you just wear a doctor's gown briefly during the election to volunteer, and what did you do after that?"

On the 15th, during an interview held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, Shin Hyun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, evaluated Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People’s Party who is currently leading in the Seoul mayoral by-election polls, in this way. Shin is also a doctor-turned-politician like Ahn.

She asked, "As COVID-19 has severely impacted the public, what fundamental role did (Ahn) play?" and criticized, "When election season comes, he brings out volunteer activities again. If such a person becomes mayor, nothing can be changed." Regarding Ahn’s mention of ‘failure in quarantine’ during his candidacy announcement, she said, "It is not convincing. There was no evidence or scientific explanation process."

She raised her voice that the public’s anxiety about quarantine is not only the responsibility of Ahn but also the opposition party. Shin said, "Just as infodemic (the rapid spread of false information) occurred in the early stages of COVID-19, responding to fake news is important," and added, "Since the opposition party has incited distrust and confusion, they must be held accountable." She continued, "Looking at the series of events such as the second wave caused by the Gwanghwamun rally and flu vaccine anxiety, the opposition party has continuously made the public anxious," and said, "However, now the public has reached a level where they do not view issues through political logic. Political strife will not work."

Regarding the opposition party’s attacks on vaccine supply, she pointed out that they are "criticism for the sake of criticism." Shin said, "The government did its best in the vaccine introduction process, but there were several limitations," and explained, "If we had rushed, there could have been judgment errors in choosing from over 50 vaccines currently under development." She added, "We would have hoped for a situation where bold decisions could be made, but there was also the trauma of officials who were criticized for vaccine wastage during the H1N1 flu," and said, "There was a task to make the wisest choice efficiently with limited finances."

However, it is not right to simply blame public anxiety about COVID-19 vaccines on fake news and ignore it. In response to this criticism, Shin said, "I understand the sentiment," but added, "I will get vaccinated as soon as I have the opportunity." This is because she checked the situation of KATUSA (Korean Augmentation To the United States Army), the first group to receive the vaccine in Korea, and confirmed that there were almost no severe adverse events. Shin said, "We confirmed that there were no serious adverse reactions in the Moderna vaccination for KATUSA," and added, "It would be good to disclose information to the public and proceed with vaccinations."

Regarding the COVID-19 treatment drugs attracting public attention, she said, "They cannot be a miracle cure," and explained, "Treatment drugs are the best way to prevent the worst-case scenario." Celltrion announced on the 13th that in the global Phase 2 clinical trial of its developing treatment, severe cases decreased by 54%. Shin said, "There is not yet a treatment drug like Tamiflu for the flu that you take and completely recover," and explained, "COVID-19 treatment drugs are a concept that reduces the risk of becoming severe." She emphasized the necessity of treatment drugs, saying, "If severity is lowered, it helps optimize medical resources by somewhat solving problems such as ICU bed supply and shortage of medical staff."

However, she said that even currently developing treatment drugs should not be trusted unconditionally and require thorough verification. Shin said, "The more expectations there are, the more carefully they must be verified," and added, "Because this is an unprecedented situation, rapid response is urgent, so expedited review procedures are being followed, but Phase 3 results can sometimes change." She continued, "Healthcare should be viewed conservatively, but because the situation is urgent, this is possible," and added, "We must help the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to verify thoroughly."

Stefan Bancel, CEO of Moderna, and the World Health Organization (WHO) also expect COVID-19 to persist annoyingly. A major paradigm shift in the healthcare delivery system seems inevitable. Regarding this situation, Shin said, "We may have to get a COVID-19 vaccine every year going forward," and stressed the urgent need for healthcare system innovation in preparation. She said, "It is true that the need for non-face-to-face medical care has increased due to COVID-19," and added, "We cannot go against the trend of healthcare development."

She added, "This is a different issue from commercialization or industrialization. It is about how to efficiently care for patients and utilize technology." Shin said, "We need to provide conditions for doctors not to remain simply as professionals who only see patients but to access the latest technology and research data," and said, "There is a need to establish a medical education environment where a second Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, can emerge."