Im Hyuntaek, Next KMA President, "Strategy to Decide 20-30 Seats in National Assembly"

"Legal Action Enforcement Will Lead to General Election Campaigns and General Strikes"

Im Hyun-taek, the next president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), announced that if legal sanctions against doctors are enforced, he will launch election campaigns and a general strike.

Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Pediatric Society, who was elected as the 42nd president of the Korean Medical Association, is expressing his thoughts during the final vote held on the afternoon of the 26th at the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In a media interview on the 27th, he stated, "If legal sanctions against doctors are enforced without reconsidering the increase in medical school admissions from the beginning, we will fight through election campaigns and a general strike." He added, "The top priority as president is to resolve the issues of increasing medical school admissions and the essential medical policy package," and "Depending on the attitude of the government and the ruling party, we will strike using various means."

He also said, "There will be no unilateral support for the ruling party as before. We will conduct an election campaign that can deliver a devastating blow to the party that has insulted doctors the most and wielded a knife against them," adding, "We will definitely get a reform party proportional candidate who is a doctor elected, and the KMA has a strategy that can decide the outcome of 20 to 30 seats in the National Assembly."

He also left room for a regime change movement and a general strike. Regarding the regime change movement, Im said, "I wonder if we should give them one more chance, but if they stubbornly refuse despite having been given enough opportunity, there will be no choice." About the doctors' general strike, he said, "We have completed legal review," and "If even one resident, professor, or student suffers criminal or administrative sanctions, we will mobilize all medical personnel and start a general strike using the strongest means."