Domestic Issues Seem Considered
Medical Community Opposes Medical School Quota Expansion
Kim Geon-hee Controversy Ongoing
Focus on Domestic Livelihood Efforts Instead of Overseas Visits
President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to postpone his planned visits to Germany and Denmark, which were scheduled for next week. This decision comes amid a series of pressing issues that need to be addressed ahead of the general election in about 50 days, including the controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag and the medical community's backlash against the expansion of medical school quotas. There is also an interpretation that the decision was made out of concern that the momentum of his public welfare activities might be disrupted by the overseas trip.
On the 14th, it was reported that President Yoon and the Blue House reviewed multiple factors and sought understanding from Germany and Denmark before deciding to postpone the visits. Since his inauguration in May 2022, President Yoon has made a total of 16 overseas trips until December last year, but this is the first time he has canceled or postponed a scheduled trip. However, the Blue House has not provided a clear explanation for the reasons behind the postponement.
There have been cases of former presidents canceling or postponing overseas visits. Former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan (due to the Aung San Mausoleum attack), Roh Tae-woo (due to Emperor Hirohito's health deterioration), and Kim Dae-jung (due to the 9/11 attacks) canceled trips due to overseas circumstances. Former Presidents Roh Tae-woo (KBS union strike), Kim Young-sam (IMF financial crisis), Lee Myung-bak (follow-up measures related to the Cheonan sinking), and Park Geun-hye (MERS outbreak) reduced or postponed trips due to domestic issues.
With urgent domestic issues piling up, it is known that there is a strong sentiment within the Blue House to minimize any governance gaps that could arise from overseas trips. Since the government announced earlier this month that it would expand medical school admissions by 2,000 students, the medical community has strongly opposed the move. The Korea Medical Association, the largest doctors' organization, held a press conference on the same day and announced that it would decide on future protest measures regarding the medical school quota increase on the 17th. Regional medical associations, including the Seoul Medical Association, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, and Jeju, are also planning rallies on the 15th. Given that the Blue House and government have warned of a tough response, including work commencement orders and license revocations, it is interpreted that President Yoon felt burdened by the prospect of going on the trip.
The controversy surrounding First Lady Kim has not yet subsided. In a New Year's interview with KBS on the 7th, President Yoon said, "The fact that this issue was brought up a year later, right before the election, should be seen as a political ploy," adding, "However, what is important is not the political ploy itself but clearly drawing the line to prevent such incidents from happening again." Nevertheless, opposition parties continue to push back. Lee Jun-seok, co-leader of the Reform New Party, urged Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party and former Minister of Justice, at a supreme council meeting to "judge whether this (luxury handbag suspicion) constitutes bribery or not." The major opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, also hinted at legal action after the Blue House decided to keep information about the luxury handbag allegedly received by First Lady Kim confidential.
There are also concerns that the momentum of domestic public welfare activities, such as the ongoing livelihood forums, might weaken. Typically, an overseas trip takes about a week, making it difficult for the president to directly oversee urgent domestic issues such as presiding over livelihood forums. Since the beginning of this year, President Yoon has presided over 10 out of 11 livelihood forums, covering topics such as the livelihood economy, housing, finance, transportation, regulatory reform, small and medium enterprises, digital initiatives, Neulbom School, and the local era. A Blue House official stated, "President Yoon is scheduled to handle livelihood-related events next week as well."
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