[Insight & Opinion] General Election and Medical Policy Conflict: How Did the Conservatives Become So Incompetent?

Obsession with "2,000 Additional Admissions" Without Meticulous Planning
Implementation Should Be Phased Over Several Years

If I were to pick one word to criticize the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, it would be "lack of communication" (불통, 不通). Throughout the election period, it was labeled as the "x-tlmak" government, becoming a subject of ridicule and the main target of opposition attacks. There was no proper explanation of major national issues, and they were unwilling to listen to uncomfortable opinions. The problem lies not only in the content but also in the form of communication. There have been no public real-time press conferences for the people; instead, only pre-recorded videos are released through designated media outlets. It is unclear whether the PR team is incompetent or the president simply does not listen. One might even suspect the president has a trauma regarding the media.

While lack of communication is an issue, a more serious problem is the incompetence of those responsible for governing the country. Observing the conflict over the increase of medical school admissions, which dominated the media throughout the general election period, clearly reflects this incompetence. Although a belated statement claimed there was thorough consideration of the 2,000 additional admissions, initially, they insisted that 2,000 was a sufficient condition for medical reform and threatened residents and doctors who opposed this and engaged in collective action.

When comparing the number of doctors per population with OECD countries, the argument that 2,000 is the minimum increase lacks persuasiveness. The OECD comparison does not sufficiently consider environmental factors. By that logic, the number of doctors per 10㎢ is 12.1, ranking third worldwide. Also, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people is 12.3, second only to Japan (13.1), and far exceeds the OECD average (4.7). Additionally, about 20% of practitioners are Korean medicine doctors, and doctors, especially residents, work relatively long hours. The current health insurance system distorts the medical market and causes excessive demand for medical services. Considering these factors, there should be an explanation as to why 1,750 is insufficient and 2,000 is necessary.

What is even more "laughably sad" is that after announcing the 2,000 increase, universities were asked to submit their desired increase numbers. Despite concerns expressed by medical schools about how many additional students were needed, how to secure faculty, educational facilities, and finances, university administrators rushed to align with the government and submitted applications competitively. Moreover, the Ministry of Education belatedly stepped in, stating it would recruit 1,000 faculty members after investigating the necessary budget.

No matter how necessary medical reform is, there was a lack of meticulous planning from the start. Nothing in this world is resolved by good intentions and justifications alone. The goals of medical reform must be clear, various means to achieve these goals must be comprehensively and systematically reviewed, and there must be sufficient discussion and agreement with the stakeholders involved in the reform.

It is puzzling why those leading this effort, who should be among the best talents in our country, are so ineffective. Upon closer look, most are people who have spent their time judging right and wrong, researching, and teaching, but perhaps lack experience in taking on major tasks that require getting their hands dirty. Threatening people on broadcasts every morning cannot bring about such significant national changes. If a corporate executive mishandled a project involving tens of trillions of won this carelessly, they would have been immediately ousted.

I recommend a more in-depth review and phased implementation over several years on whether to expand nationwide universal healthcare services, enhance treatment capabilities for fatal diseases, increase vital doctors, develop medical science, and balance it with other scientific and technological advancements. Innovations to resolve inefficiencies in the medical delivery system should also be pursued simultaneously.

The progressive camp, which should hold moral superiority, is not moral, and the conservative camp, which should be more capable, is so incompetent that the people's hearts are burning with frustration.

Kim Hong-jin, CEO of Work Innovation Lab