A Heated Exchange on Facebook Between Im Hyeontak, President of the Medical Association, and Critics
Im's Comment on 'Pig Libido Enhancer' Called "Nasty Act"
A heated exchange has continued between Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, and Lim Hyun-taek, the president of the Korean Medical Association, over the medical service gap crisis. On the 5th, Mayor Hong criticized President Lim, saying, "It is a bad act to resort to personal attacks when losing in logic." This was a counterattack against Lim's remarks on the 3rd, when he attacked Mayor Hong by referring to him as a "pig aphrodisiac."
Earlier, on the 3rd, Mayor Hong posted on his Facebook, "Doctors are public figures, not individuals or warriors," and pointed out, "While 80% of the public supports increasing medical school admissions, only doctors persistently oppose the increase and even refuse to enter the public debate, which is inconsistent with the Hippocratic Oath."
He continued, "Striking at the expense of the lives of the people is an excessive measure no matter how you think about it," and urged, "Return to the public debate, and openly resolve this medical crisis through dialogue and compromise."
In response, President Lim posted on his Facebook the next day, saying, "It is outrageous that a person involved in sexual crimes with pig aphrodisiacs runs as a presidential candidate and serves as mayor, yet doctors who do not get a single tax cut are called public figures and reminded of the Hippocratic Oath," and criticized, "That is why, even after decades in politics, there is no one who follows him."
The "pig aphrodisiac" remark referred to a controversial passage in Mayor Hong's autobiography. In his 2005 autobiography, Mayor Hong confessed that during his first year at university, he overlooked a roommate's use of pig aphrodisiac on a female student he had a crush on, saying, "It was done as a joke, but I only realized how serious the wrongdoing was after becoming a prosecutor."
Furthermore, President Lim said, "A public figure is someone who receives a salary and official expenses from the people's taxes, not a professional self-employed person or a salaried worker," and added, "A person who lost their parliamentary seat due to money politics is a public figure. Maybe you forgot because it has been a long time since elementary school."
In response, on the 5th, Mayor Hong posted on Facebook, "Resorting to slander and personal attacks when losing in logic is a despicable act done only by people with low character," and countered, "For someone of a doctor's caliber to do such things is no different from a petty thug, which raises doubts about their level. If there is a group that is shaken by such a person, that is also undesirable for Korean society."
He added, "It is unacceptable to unilaterally nullify the increase in medical school admissions, which even opposition party leaders agreed upon," and reiterated, "Everything must be resolved through public debate to reach a national consensus. Striking by holding the lives and health of the people hostage is not something an intellectual should do."
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