'Message to the People' National Address
Reaffirming Commitment to Medical Reform in a Firm Tone
President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a "Message to the People" regarding medical reform at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 1st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 1st, "Previous administrations fought nine times and lost all nine times, and the doctors' occupational cartel has become increasingly solidified," adding, "We can no longer afford to repeat such failures." He also made it clear that there is no room for compromise regarding the possibility of adjusting the medical school expansion by 2,000 students, as demanded by the medical community.
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon delivered a national address titled "A Message to the People" at the Yongsan Presidential Office, saying, "Increasing the number of doctors is a national task that can no longer be delayed in order to correct the abnormal structure."
With the general election just ten days away, the decision to issue another national address is interpreted as an effort to thoroughly explain the necessity of expanding medical schools amid growing concerns over medical service gaps caused by collective actions by resident doctors and medical school professors, to express gratitude to the public enduring the inconvenience, and to appeal for their support.
In particular, President Yoon's remarks that day were in a firmer tone than usual, demonstrating his strong determination to complete medical reform. He said, "In the past 27 years, no administration has been able to carry out the expansion of doctors and medical reform, which 90% of the public supports," suggesting once again that now is the right time to achieve reforms that previous governments could not. President Yoon emphasized, "The monopoly power held by doctors includes the heavy responsibility to protect the lives and health of the people," and added, "Therefore, doctors have a legal obligation to comply with medical laws."
He also dismissed the medical community's suggestion of adjusting the 2,000-person medical school expansion. President Yoon stated, "The figure of 2,000 is the minimum expansion scale carefully calculated by the government, and sufficient discussions were held with the medical community, including doctors' organizations, before deciding this." He devoted a significant portion of the address to explaining the discussion process, saying that claims by some in the medical community that discussions were insufficient distort the facts.
Regarding opinions that lack of communication with the medical community could negatively affect the general election, he directly refuted them, stating that medical reform is not being pursued based on political gains or losses. President Yoon pointed out, "The medical community is even threatening the government by saying they will intervene in the general election and calling for the government's resignation," adding, "Such behavior does not threaten me as the president but threatens the people."
President Yoon raised the level of criticism toward the medical community's behavior, which strongly opposes the medical school expansion despite the government's efforts to engage in dialogue. He said, "The medical community, which had consistently remained silent when the government requested specific numbers regarding the expansion scale, is now throwing out various numbers such as 350, 500, and 1,000 without any basis," emphasizing, "Instead of collective action, they should present a unified proposal with solid scientific evidence to the government."
President Yoon stated, "They must immediately stop illegal collective actions and bring reasonable proposals and evidence," adding, "The government cannot halt or suspend a duly reviewed and legitimate policy according to procedure based on the logic of force without any grounds."
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