[News Terms] Medical Reform Special Committee Held Amid Absence of Residents and Medical Associations

27 Recommended Committee Members from Various Fields Form Presidential Advisory Body
Medical Association: "Should Be Discussed Separately in Another Type of Organization," Refuses Special Committee Participation

The 'Special Committee on Medical Reform (Medical Reform Special Committee)' is a presidential advisory body responsible for the professional review of medical reform tasks, preparing a roadmap for implementation, publicizing contentious issues among stakeholders and mediating conflicts, providing advice on tasks, and proposing institutional improvements.

The Medical Reform Special Committee consists of 27 members: a private sector chairperson, 15 private members recommended by 10 provider organizations and 5 consumer organizations, 5 experts, and government officials from six ministries (Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Financial Services Commission).

Noh Yeon-hong, Chairman of the Special Committee on Medical Reform (far right), is delivering an opening remark at the 1st meeting of the Special Committee on Medical Reform held on the 25th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Jo Yong-jun]

The private sector chairperson is Chairman Noh Yeon-hong (President of the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association), appointed by President Yoon Seok-yeol based on his expertise and experience in medical reform. The vice-chairperson will be appointed from among the private members, specifically from the medical community.

The Medical Reform Special Committee held its first meeting on the morning of the 25th at the Government Complex Seoul, discussing the background and progress of medical reform, directions and agendas for medical reform, and plans for the committee’s composition and operation.

The committee plans to concretize the '4 Major Essential Medical Policy Package,' focusing on strengthening regional healthcare, establishing a safety net for medical accidents, and enhancing fairness in compensation systems such as medical fees. However, the issue of next year’s medical school quota, where the government and doctors have failed to narrow their differences, is expected to be excluded from the committee’s agenda.

However, concerns were raised that the absence of the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA), influential organizations in the medical community, from the first meeting might hinder discussions that ensure practical implementation.

Health and Welfare Minister Cho Kyu-hong is attending the 1st Medical Reform Special Committee meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 25th, greeting the committee members.
[Photo by Jo Yong-jun]

The KMA stated, "We understand that the Medical Reform Special Committee’s composition and role are not properly defined," and added, "Committees such as the physician number estimation committee should operate separately and one-on-one with the medical community." In response, Park Min-soo, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, appealed, "The committee is a social consultative body where various sectors of society engage in open discussions to develop reasonable alternatives on big and small issues related to medical reform. We ask the KMA and KIRA to participate with an open mind and work together to develop alternatives for improving the healthcare system."

At the first meeting, seven members from 10 provider organizations attended, excluding the three recommended by the KMA, KIRA, and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences. These organizations included the Korean Medical Association, Korean Intern and Resident Association, Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, Korean Hospital Association (Shin Eung-jin, Special Director at Soonchunhyang University Central Medical Center), Small and Medium Hospital Association (Park Jin-sik, Chairman of Sejong Hospital), National University Hospital Association (Yang Dong-hyun, Director of Kyungpook National University Hospital), Korean Pharmaceutical Association (Choi Kwang-hoon, President of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association), Korean Nurses Association (Tak Young-ran, President of the Korean Nurses Association), Korean Oriental Medicine Association (Yoon Sung-chan, President of the Korean Oriental Medicine Association), and Korean Dental Association (Ma Kyung-hwa, Full-time Insurance Department Chair of the Korean Dental Association).

All five members recommended by consumer organizations attended. These included the Korea Employers Federation (Ryu Ki-jung, Executive Director of the Korea Employers Federation), Saerogochim Workers’ Council (Kim Myung-ho, Chairman of Saerogochim Workers’ Council), Korea Patient Organization Federation (Ahn Ki-jong, Representative of the Korea Patient Organization Federation), Korea Consumer Federation (Kang Jung-hwa, President of the Korea Consumer Federation), and Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice (Kim Jin-hyun, Executive Director of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice).

Experts participating included health and medical experts such as Professor Yoon Seok-jun of Korea University College of Medicine, Senior Research Fellow Shin Hyun-woong of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, and Professor Jung Hyung-sun of Yonsei University College of Health Sciences; economic and fiscal expert Kwon Jung-hyun, Research Fellow at the Korea Development Institute (KDI); and legal expert Professor Baek Kyung-hee of Inha University Law School.

Medical staff are moving at a university hospital in Seoul on the 15th amid escalating conflicts between the medical community and the government, as residents who resigned in opposition to the government's medical reform policy are threatening to file complaints against Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Medical Reform Special Committee operates specialized subcommittees composed of experts for professional review of agenda items alongside the main committee, and also forms advisory groups involving national research institutes and academic experts for detailed review of specialized fields.

When an agenda item is adopted by the Medical Reform Special Committee, it is referred to the specialized subcommittee for data collection, issue review, and preparation of a review opinion report based on the discussion results. After the specialized subcommittee completes its review, the agenda is discussed again by the Medical Reform Special Committee, which then announces the results. If more in-depth discussion is needed, the agenda may be re-referred to the specialized subcommittee or undergo a process of gathering opinions from related organizations.

However, smooth progress is expected to be difficult due to opposition from interns, residents, and medical organizations. The KMA denies the committee’s existence, stating, "Discussions should be held separately in other types of bodies," while KIRA sharply criticized, "Looking at the composition of the committee, it is an unreasonable negotiation forum from the medical community’s perspective." Some medical school professors have also expressed opposition. Kim Chang-soo, Chairman of the National Association of Medical School Professors, criticized it as "an organization like the Red Guards during China’s Cultural Revolution era."