Yoon "Listening to Public Sentiment with a More Humble Attitude"... Continuing to Pursue Medical Reform (Comprehensive)

Live Broadcast of the State Council Meeting Opening Remarks
"Reckless Cash Support and Populism Ruin the Country"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 16th at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 16th regarding the defeat in the April 10 general election, "I will communicate more with a humbler and more flexible attitude and listen to the public sentiment starting with myself." This is the first time President Yoon has directly issued a message related to the general election. He emphasized that "the top priority of state affairs is, first, second, and third, the people's livelihood," humbly accepting the public sentiment revealed through this election and pledging to strengthen communication with the National Assembly going forward. In particular, he urged close monitoring and thorough response to the situation arising from the Middle East crisis, while indicating his intention to continue pursuing the three major reforms in labor, education, and pensions, as well as medical reform.

In his remarks during the live broadcast of the Cabinet meeting at 10 a.m. that day, President Yoon reflected on the election results, which ended in a crushing defeat for the ruling party, saying, "Over the past two years since my inauguration, I have walked the path for national interest focusing solely on the people, but I fell short of the people's expectations," and added, "Above all, I should have taken much more meticulous care of the lives of the struggling common people." He self-assessed that "although we set the right direction for state affairs and did our best, it was insufficient to create changes that the people could feel," and expressed his deep regret that even policies intended for the people lacked attention to detail in some areas.

President Yoon stressed, "Ultimately, no matter how right the direction of state affairs is or how many good policies are implemented, if the people do not actually feel the change, the government has not fulfilled its role," and added, "I believe the public sentiment is telling us to pay closer attention to the difficulties our people are currently facing. Especially, I will take better care of each and every person living on the edge of hardship."

Yoon: "Insufficient in Overcoming the Time Lag Between Policy and Field"

The ruling party's crushing defeat in this general election reflects the self-reflection that although the government exerted all efforts to control inflation, it failed to improve the conditions of struggling common people. President Yoon said, "Despite doing our best to accelerate the pace of policy, we were insufficient in overcoming the time lag between policy and the field," and lamented, "As exports revive, our economy is standing up again, but the government's efforts have not reached the point of evenly spreading the warmth of economic recovery."

However, President Yoon clearly expressed his stance against indiscriminate populism. He said firmly, "Indiscriminate cash handouts and populism ruin the country's future," and added, "Economic populism corresponds to political collectivism and totalitarianism, and in light of our future, it is like a drug."

President Yoon emphasized, "We will continue to pursue the three major reforms and medical reform, but we will pay more attention to and listen to reasonable opinions." The four major tasks of medical reform, including increasing medical school quotas, are seen as prerequisites to reviving essential and regional medical care, and thus the determination to complete the reforms regardless of the election outcome is implied. With the 2025 academic year university entrance schedule, the final confirmation point for the scale of medical school quota increases, approaching soon, the medical community's demand for a "re-discussion of the medical school quota increase from scratch" is viewed as potentially causing social confusion. However, the possibility of dialogue and adjustment has not been completely closed. Since the medical community has previously suggested that if they bring reasonable and unified proposals, adjustments to the medical school quota increase are possible, President Yoon emphasized that the door for dialogue remains open and that he intends to negotiate.

President Yoon also expressed his intention to strengthen communication for cooperation with the next National Assembly. Since the 22nd National Assembly, like the 21st, will be a minority government with the opposition majority, cooperation is necessary for legislation related to state affairs. It is interpreted that he accepted public opinion that cooperation must be strengthened because if cooperation with the opposition majority (Geoya) is not achieved during the remaining three years of his term, the government could fall into a "plant government" status.

President Yoon said, "While fulfilling the responsibilities of what the government can do, we must also cooperate more closely with the National Assembly," and added, "We must explain well and communicate more about the budgets and bills necessary for stabilizing people's livelihoods." He then urged, "Cabinet members, please do your best until the end to ensure that the bills being promoted by each ministry pass before the end of the 21st National Assembly." He also said, "Let us all listen more carefully to the voices of the people and make several times more strenuous efforts to solve the difficulties of people's livelihoods," and requested, "I hope the cabinet members will also create a working atmosphere in the public service for stabilizing people's livelihoods."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 16th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, President Yoon expressed concern over the worsening Middle East crisis due to Iran's attack on Israel and ordered the activation of an emergency economic security contingency system to ensure thorough preparedness. He said, "The armed conflict occurring in the Middle East is not a distant matter happening elsewhere," and noted, "Instability in the Middle East directly leads to rising international oil prices, which causes enormous damage to our economy and supply chains."

Yoon: "Oil Price Rise Brings Greater Pain to Common People"... Orders Response

He explained that since 60% of the oil used in South Korea is transported through the Strait of Hormuz and the country's dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil reaches 72%, the impact is inevitable. President Yoon ordered meticulous response, saying, "The huge increase in transportation costs and rising international oil prices will directly lead to inflation and cause even greater pain to the common people." He urged all ministries to operate analysis and management systems related to energy supply and supply chains to ensure thorough situation management.

This year also marked the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, and a memorial message was included. President Yoon said, "Although 10 years have passed, the situation of that day, April 16, 2014, is still vivid in my mind," and expressed brief condolences, "I pray for the repose of the unfortunate victims and once again offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families." This is the first time President Yoon has issued a memorial message for the Sewol ferry disaster in his own voice since taking office.

On April 16, 2022, the 8th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, President Yoon, then president-elect, posted on Facebook, "I remember the sorrow I felt eight years ago today," and promised, "I believe the most sincere tribute to the Sewol victims is to make South Korea safe. I will strive until South Korea becomes safe. I will not forget." However, on the 9th anniversary last year, he not only did not attend the memorial ceremony but also did not leave a separate message, drawing criticism from bereaved families and opposition parties.