Ruling and Opposition Parties Attentive to Public Sentiment
Kim Seong-tae: "Expecting Shy Conservatives"
Choi Jae-sung: "Medical School Expansion, a Mistake"
On the first day of early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election on the 5th, both ruling and opposition parties are keenly attentive to the direction of public sentiment.
Early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election began on the 5th, and voters are casting their ballots at the Naegok-dong Early Voting Station set up at the Naegok-dong Open Culture Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seong-tae appeared on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that day and said, "In our conservative camp, we are placing our hopes on the so-called shy conservatives in this last election." Kim revealed that the expected voter turnout for this general election is 68.5%. He analyzed, "The Democratic Party's emphasis on a high turnout of 71.3% is part of their election campaign, essentially sending the message, 'Go to the polls in large numbers to judge the administration.'"
Regarding the intensifying medical policy conflict as a last-minute variable in the general election, Kim said, "From President Yoon Seok-yeol's standpoint, if a social grand compromise can produce good results regarding the quota of 2,000 medical school seats, there is a willingness to accept it to some extent." He advised, "Even now, the medical community should present a unified voice to the government concerning the increase in medical school quotas."
He continued, "To resolve the medical policy conflict, a well-organized and unified voice must be sufficiently negotiated, compromised, and reflected between parties, but currently, all voices differ," pointing out, "Internal conflicts within the medical community are also significantly hindering the resolution of the dispute over increasing the number of doctors."
On the same day, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Jae-sung of the Democratic Party said, "The expectation that 'voter turnout will increase' applies to early voting and overseas voting as well. In the past, third parties were not significant, but with the emergence of the Joguk Innovation Party, which is showing surprisingly high support, these factors collectively make it inevitable for turnout to rise, and the continuous upward trend in early voting turnout is also reflected in this estimate."
Regarding the medical policy conflict, former Secretary Choi said, "The president pushed through one of the most difficult issues in South Korea before the general election," adding, "With only six days left before the election, it cannot be resolved now." He further criticized, "This issue involves doctors going on collective leave or residents not returning, which threatens the lives of the people and essentially causes a collapse of medical services. It was approached too lightly," and pointed out, "Rushing this before the general election was a mistake."
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