KMA "Vice Minister Park insults KMA... Presidential Office official threatens residents with extortion"
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) urged for the punishment of officials from the Presidential Office and Park Min-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, while calling for dialogue to be resumed from the beginning.
Seong Hye-young, spokesperson for the Korean Medical Association, is holding a press conference urging the punishment of Presidential Office officials on the 21st at the KMA Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and expressing her position. Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@
On the 21st, the KMA held a "Press Conference Urging Punishment of Presidential Office Officials" at the KMA headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, expressing this stance. KMA spokesperson Sung Hye-young stated, "Park Min-su, the Vice Minister who holds great responsibility for the medical manipulation scandal, appeared on a radio program today and made inappropriate remarks insulting the KMA regarding an interview with KMA President Lim Hyun-taek."
Earlier that day, Park had commented on President Lim Hyun-taek’s statement that the judge who dismissed the provisional injunction to suspend the increase in medical school admissions was swayed by the government, saying, "From the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s perspective, which manages and supervises the KMA, it is necessary to review whether this statement was appropriate and if it can be recognized as a public interest activity within the bounds of the law."
President Lim had criticized on the 16th, when the Seoul High Court Administrative Division 7 dismissed the provisional injunction to suspend the increase and allocation of medical school admissions, saying, "It is reasonable to suspect that the judge was swayed over a Supreme Court Justice position."
He also expressed dissatisfaction with officials from the Presidential Office. He said, "An unnamed official from the Presidential Office did not hesitate to threaten with extortion through media reports yesterday, saying that the longer the residents’ return is delayed, the greater the liabilities, including various damages, they would have to bear."
He then demanded punishment for the Presidential Office officials and Vice Minister Park from the President. Spokesperson Sung said, "The anonymous Presidential Office official who prevents residents from returning and threatens them, along with the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s attitude, is the height of irresponsibility," adding, "We request the President to impose appropriate punishment on those who completely block dialogue between the medical community and the government."
He also requested live broadcast negotiations, proposing dialogue with the government from the beginning. He said, "We are ready to engage in dialogue with the government at any time from the start to prevent the worst medical collapse," and added, "We hope that the medical negotiations will be broadcast live in real time so that the public can join in resolving the medical crisis."
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