Kim Minsu: "Mediator Handonghun in Medical Strike Will Be a Breakthrough in the General Election"

"Yongsan Also Responds... Entering a Phase of Conflict Resolution"
"Both Government and Medical Community Seeking Win-Win Strategy"

Kim Min-su, spokesperson for the People Power Party, highly praised Han Dong-hoon, the party’s Emergency Response Committee Chairman, for stepping in as a mediator in the conflict between the government and the medical community, saying it will be a breakthrough for the upcoming general election.

On the 25th, Kim said on YTN Radio’s "News King with Park Ji-hoon," "Although medical reform is a reform task of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the prolonged medical strike caused inconvenience to the public in receiving medical care and led to unfavorable public opinion. The doctors extended a hand the day before, and Chairman Han personally visited them. Afterwards, the Yongsan Presidential Office responded, so we expect this to enter a phase of resolving the conflict." He added, "If Chairman Han plays the role of mediator, it will have a positive impact on the general election."

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman and General Election Countermeasures Committee Chairman of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The day before, Chairman Han held a meeting with the chairpersons of the National Association of Medical School Professors. After the meeting, he told reporters, "I was asked to mediate constructive dialogue between the government and the medical community to prevent situations where the public could be harmed," taking on the role of mediator. Subsequently, Chairman Han requested the Presidential Office to "handle license suspension administrative measures flexibly," and President Yoon Seok-yeol responded by instructing Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to "consult with the party and seek flexible handling measures."

Spokesperson Kim said, "Chairman Han is not mediating the medical strike issue for the sake of the general election," adding, "If this were an election strategy, this topic would not have been brought up before the election." He also explained, "President Yoon has consistently expressed that he will 'push reforms without being swayed by votes.' However, pushing strongly on this issue has created a burden for the government and ruling party ahead of the election."

Regarding the criticism that the medical strike situation is prolonged, Kim countered, "The reform tasks initiated by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration address long-standing problems in South Korea. In the long term, these are policies for the people." He pointed out, "When President Yoon called for 'breaking the education cartel,' the Democratic Party of Korea heavily criticized it, but investigations revealed numerous traces of cheating and selling of CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) questions. The issue of increasing the number of doctors is similar." He reminded that South Korea ranks last among OECD countries in the number of doctors per capita, emphasizing, "Government policies have been repeatedly blocked and have not progressed, but if this phase is overcome, it will ultimately be a good policy for both the public and doctors."

Spokesperson Kim forecasted, "The government wants a win-win strategy to serve the people and livelihood, and it seems the doctors are also seeking a win-win strategy. If both sides sit at the negotiation table, they can lead the situation in a good direction for the people."